Jack Frost's Wish
by gwenlynn93
Summary: (Newly rewritten & updated! Previously: FrozenInTime) She had her back to him, that capelet hanging temptingly within his reach. Gingerly, silently, he picked up the edge with two fingers. "Incredible," he breathed, "And it is made of ice. How in the w-MANNY'S SPOTTED TROUSERS!" he squeaked in surprise as she whipped around. (Set after ROTG and Frozen, including the Frozen shorts.)
1. Chapter 1 - Jack Frost's Christmas Eve

**Hello readers! I'd like you all to know that this is the rewrite of my story, which took my about two months. The plot has changed dramatically, for the better.**

 **I realized I'd have to have Jack and Elsa popping out the 'thees' and 'thous', so I scrapped it. Everyone speaks modern English. It's not like it's the first time I've messed with time period rules. After all, Elsa lives in 1839, and I just bumped Rise of the Guardians back a few centuries. Meh. Whatever.**

 **I love you all, and I love, love, love reviews, especially when you guess what's coming next.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Jack Frost's Christmas Eve**

Some people say the season of summer is imagery for life, while winter represents death. But in the end, what does it matter? Death is death, not poetry, and each of us dies at the end of our time here on earth, by God's will.

It is what comes after death that matters more.

This is a story of one who was dead and became alive, and one life that became death.

December 24, 1839.

The little town of Burgess was buried in snow, the streets slick, and fat flakes drifted down to collect on the ground, on the roofs, and the hair and eyelashes on the people in the streets.

Dusk was falling, and the lamps and Christmas candles were being lit.

Just outside of town, the frozen lake shimmered like a sheet of glass, and the air was filled with shouts, catcalls, and the sound of skates scraping on the ice.

A group of children were enjoying the sudden cold snap after a rather wet, miserable winter. A few boys were playing tag, slipping and sliding about, as their female friends linked arms and skated in rows, giggling and falling over.

A child was run over, and had to be soothed, and then the culprit got a snow rub. Eyes watered, noses ran, cheeks were pink, and breath fogged, but the delight in the air was palatable.

Unknown to the carefree skaters, someone was watching them from above.

The someone was draped up high in a gnarled oak, legs swinging. He looked like any other teenaged boy, until you noticed his snow-white mop of hair and the fact that his feet were bare. He was also rather tall and thin, with brown pants tied up around his ankles with leather straps, a blue hoodie with a pattern of frost fractals around the shoulders, and he was holding a long stick with a hook on one end.

His pale expression held nothing but mischief, shockingly blue eyes sparkling like the lake below.

What was he there for?

This was his life.

One of the little boys on the lake slipped and fell down, hard, immediately bursting into tears. The boy up in the tree scooped up a handful of snow and packed it into a snowball, then he blew on it gently.

The snowball glowed blue, then began to sparkle like magic. He squinted and threw it with deadly accuracy at the lake, and it smashed into the crying boy's back. The little boy pushed away the children trying to help him up and glanced around.

"Who threw that?" he laughed, tears forgotten, and began to throw snowballs at the other skaters.

"Works every time," the watcher in the tree grinned.

He watched as the skating party turned into a free-for-all snow fight.

Then, the teenagers arrived from Burgess to collect their siblings. Shoes and boots replaced skates, wet mittens and hats and soggy schoolbags were found, and the lake cleared.

The last girl fumbled with her skates, and when she looked up in frustration, her eyes met the blue ones of the watcher in the tree, recognition sparking in them.

"Greta, look! It's Jack Frost!"

The older girl glanced up briefly, then leaned down to help her sister. "Jack Frost is just a story, Lina. I thought momma told you that."

"But he's right there! Just look!"

"Enough. Maybe you shouldn't hang around with Jamie Bennett anymore, if you actually believe all that stuff he tells you."

Jack Frost—for that is who he was—sat up on his tree branch, eyes wide in interest. _Jamie?_

"Greta, don't talk about Jamie like that. He's my friend."

"Come along, Lina. Supper's ready."

Lina stuck her tongue out at her sister's back and gave Jack a cheeky, freckled grin before trotting off after the older girl.

Jack hefted his staff and floated gently down onto the icy lake, watching everyone trudge back to Burgess.

It had been a while since he'd gone to see Jamie, the first kid who'd ever believed in him. He'd stood on this very lake in March after the battle with Pitch and swore his Guardian oath in front of the boy and his friends.

He turned to look at the red light of the setting sun, and smiled. _I have time._ "I'll drop by there now, and wish him a Merry Christmas."

He hopped into the air and called on the wind, sailing between chimneys and roofs to alight a moment later on a windowsill outside a boy's room, where he rapped lightly on the glass.

An excited face appeared on the other side, and the window was pushed open. "Jack!"

The Spirit of Winter laughed and clambered down into the room, where Jamie caught him around the waist in a tight hug.

Hug? It had been a long time since anyone had touched Jack, and even longer before that. He tried to steady his breathing, and put his arms around the boy. "Hey, Jamie. How's it going?"

Jamie grinned up at him. "Totally great! Look, I lost another tooth!" he showed Jack the gap proudly. "And the Tooth Fairy gave me a prize for it! I was going to stay up to see her again, but I accidentally fell asleep."

Jack laughed.

"And it's Christmas tomorrow!" Jamie rattled on, his face glowing. "That means Santa is coming!"

"It sure does, kid," Jack chuckled. "Hey, I can't stay, ok? I just came to say Merry Christmas."

"Thanks! Where are you going?"

"Heading to the North Pole to have Christmas dinner with the Guardians. Apparently it's an annual thing they do. This'll be my first time." He smiled a little. "I guess I'm a little nervous."

"Cool!" Jamie's eyes sparkled. "Do you get presents, too?"

The older boy laughed. He hadn't thought about that. "Well, it's Santa, so I guess that's a yes. What's Christmas without presents?"

He opened his hand and shot out a burst of snowflakes which showered down from the ceiling.

"You're the best, Jack!" Jamie sneezed on a flake and giggled. "Will you be back soon?"

Jack turned. "I hope so! I'll come back, I promise." He climbed back through the window.

"Bye, Jack!" Jamie waved as the Spirit of Winter caught the wind and took off into the dark, laughing.

He had a party to crash.

* * *

The North Pole was a huge fortress deep in the Arctic wilderness, tucked into the side of a mountain, and under perpetual winter. The main part of the Pole was the Workshop, built into the side of a cliff and surrounded by a small village where the Yetis lived. At the top of the Workshop's observatory-shaped roof, a very tall pole rose into the sky, the magnetic pole, which doubled as the generator of the Northern Lights.

The Workshop itself was a maze of passages in the mountainside, the deepest ones the storage of the Letters To Santa. The main area of the Workshop went up six stories to the roof, and beneath it, the Yetis's workroom and Santa's own workshop.

Countless times since he'd become an immortal, Jack Frost, the Spirit of Fun, had tried to break into the Pole, and each time he'd been thwarted by the vigilant Yetis.

Then, in March, the Easter Bunny had caught Jack and dumped him out in front of Santa Claus at the Pole. The wonders of the place were greater than he could've imagined.

Now, as Jack emerged from the misty Arctic air and saw the Pole below, glittering with lights, he had a sudden urge to do something unexpected.

A mental image flashed across his mind: himself casually strolling up into the main hall from the Workshop, staff over one shoulder, nonchalantly mentioning something about security updates flashed across his mind, and he was hooked.

He grinned that wicked grin that always made North tell him to smarten up, and swooped down to one of the only dark windows, perching on the ledge.

It was rash.

It was risky.

But the danger made it thrilling.

He wrapped his long fingers around the edge of the frame and concentrated for a moment, freezing the alarm mechanism inside.

Glancing about, he made a quick sliver of ice, with which he pried the window open. It swung outward without a sound, and Jack dropped his staff inside, following it into the dark room, and reaching back out to close the window.

He turned, and fell back against the glass in fright.

The room, dark a moment before, blazed with light, revealing boxes stacked floor to ceiling, and a trio of massive hairy white creatures, armed with spearguns and swords, blocking the door.

 _The Yetis._

Jack swore.

He put his hands in the air, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. "Heh, heh, hey fellas! Hey, Phil, did you do something with your hair? It looks—eep!" he squeaked as the Yeti named Phil picked him up by the shoulders and growled.

"Ow! Hey, hey, uh, put me down, please!" Jack whimpered, his bare toes hovering a few feet off the ground.

Instead, however, Phil slung Jack over his shoulder, moving out of the storage room and out onto the catwalk above the main hall.

The teenager struggled. "Hey, wait! My staff! Let me go!"

The other two creatures followed Phil, one of them stopping to collect the staff off the floor.

Jack stopped struggling, resigned to his embarrassment.

The view from the catwalk was amazing. Far below, starting at the main hall of the Pole and reaching up to the roof, Santa's magnificent Belief Globe hung suspended on a pole. The globe was the size of a small house, and covered with tiny winking lights. Each light represented a child who believed in the Guardians.

The Yetis took one of Santa's lifts down to the main area, which was low-lit by round lights on strings, and smelled of cloves.

The huge fireplace was lit, crackling merrily, next to where a long conference table had been set up and groaned beneath the load of food. A Christmas tree with coloured lights filled the air with fresh pine scent.

Phil dropped Jack onto the wooden floor in front of the table, where the rest of the Guardians watched with no small amusement as he scrambled up and snatched his staff back.

They were an odd assortment of fairytale characters: the Tooth Fairy, with her green feathers and silver wings; the Sandman, round and gold and sleepy-eyed; the Easter Bunny, tall, pointed ears, warrior stripes; and St. Nicholas himself, big and Russian and jolly.

Next to these people, Jack Frost looked almost normal.

 _Almost._

The big man at the head of the table stood, chuckling. "Welcome, Jack! I should've expected you to pull tricks! You are Jack Frost, are you not? And the Naughty List record holder! But even after being invited to dinner at the North Pole, Jack Frost thinks he has to sneak inside. Well done, my boy." He clapped.

Jack hunched his shoulders. "Just testing the security around here, to make sure it's sound and all."

" _Likely_ ," the Easter Bunny drawled, amusement in his eyes.

"Have a seat, Jack," North boomed, "So we can get this party started."

Jack flopped down in the empty seat next to the Sandman and tried to relax, but he felt rather foolish.

He looked up and caught the Tooth Fairy gazing at him admiringly from across the table. He knew she and all her little fairies were obsessed with him and his 'perfect teeth', but the thought made him feel hollow inside.

North smiled round at them all. "It's been an important year for all of us," he announced. "We defeated the King of Nightmares, along with Newest Guardian, who also reminded us what we fight for, and why we are Guardians. All these years of working for children made us forget what it was to be with children. I propose a toast," he raised his glass, "to Jack Frost, for helping us go back to basics."

Everyone raised their glasses. "To Jack."

The person in question flushed and ducked his head, grinning.

"Now," the Russian continued, "I have a lot to do after dinner, so why don't we have presents first?"

He snapped his fingers, and two lines of small, triangle-shaped red elf-like creatures with pointed shoes and bells on their hats marched into the hall, each bearing a parcel wrapped in brown paper. They came to a halt next to the table, and the first one presented its gift to Santa.

He reached down and read the label. "Toothiana!" Soon the gifts were being passed round the table, and wrappings discarded.

Jack felt odd as he unwrapped the ones addressed to him. He hadn't had gifts for Christmas in over three hundred years. The only things he owned he kept with him: his staff and the tiny Russian nesting doll centre from North.

The only present he'd gotten since he'd died in the ice so long ago was his hoodie, which the Sandman had given him. An article of clothing he'd never seen another person wear.

He stared at the pile of goodies and thought about where he would bring them.

He thought about home.

North lived here, of course, along with his Yetis and elves. Tooth had her Tooth Palace, and all her fairies. Sandy's home was his Dreamsand Island, usually in the sky, and Jack knew Bunny's Burrow was somewhere in Australia.

Once, Jack's own home had been with his family, in Burgess, but now…

 _Where is my home? Where do I belong?_

"Earth to Jack."

A snowflake settled onto Jack's nose, and he blew it off, looking up in annoyance at the other flakes that fell around him. Gathering himself under control, he grinned and turned to face North, who'd spoke. "Sorry, what was that?"

The big man grinned back. "I asked you what you wanted for Christmas!"

Jack stared at him. "Wait...what?"

"Don't tell me you didn't hear! I won't be fooled! Everyone wants something, Jack." Those blue eyes met Jack's over the steaming turkey, and he swallowed, hard.

He glanced around and saw each of his friends had already received something from North.

"What'll it be, my boy?"

 _What do I want?_

There was nothing. No. He was perfectly happy. But he knew that was a lie.

There was something.

His breath caught as he realized the truth, and he broke eye contact with North, forcing a laugh.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "There's nothing I want. I have everything I need!"

The man gazed at him gravely. "Don't lie to me, Jack Frost. I can feel in my belly when someone wants something. Tell me."

Jack leapt up, face flushed. "No, all right? I have everything! I have you all, and the kids believe in me now, and we beat Pitch, and I found my centre! There is literally nothing else I could want!"

"Jack, calm down!"

Toothiana leaned forward. "Is it a toothache?"

"Will everyone please just leave me alone?" he grabbed his staff and backed away from the table. "You can't fix this, all right? I'm fine!"

And he spun around and launched himself into the air and was gone.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Dream is a Wish

**Originally this chapter lacked depth, and was very short. But I'm finally satisfied with it, so I hope you are, too!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes**

North found Jack up in the highest balcony, perched atop his staff as it stood in the middle of the floor, staring moodily out at the globe.

The Guardian of Wonder reached out and pulled a chair onto the balcony.

 _Skreeeek. Skreeeek._

Jack hunched his shoulders and sighed as North sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

North closed his eyes and wished for mind-reading powers. Of course, the Spirit of Winter would have to be a teenager, with emotional issues deeper than the snow outside. Children were easy: if they wanted something, they'd tell you.

But North suspected there was more to this than a Christmas present.

"Frost," he said, "You're a good kid. Even though you make mistakes, like everyone else, your heart is in the right place. And now that you're a Guardian, you're part of a team. You can trust us."

The boy swallowed, refusing to meet his eyes. "I know I can trust you. But sometimes—sometimes I just have to keep it to myself."

"People who do that often end up wishing they hadn't, Jack. You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you ask for help."

There was a long silence.

Then, finally, the boy broke it. "I don't have a home," he whispered, "or a family."

"Sandy and Bunny are alone as well," Santa replied quietly, "But we are your family now, Jack."

"In a way, yes," the boy nodded. "But then why do I feel so alone, then? I feel like I'm going nowhere, with this emptiness inside...I can't explain it."

North stared out at the globe, wondering if he should try to say something, but he finally decided against it. Sometimes people just needed someone to listen.

"When I came up out of the ice," Jack continued, his face stony, "I had no idea who I was. I spent three hundred years trying to figure it out. I spent night after night staring up at the Moon, asking for answers to my questions, but He let me hang for the whole time. I still wonder, why?"

The Russian sighed, but kept his mouth shut.

"When Tooth showed me my memories, it all came back, all of it. And it hurt." He turned to meet North's gaze, eyes shimmering a little. "Do you know, if I think back hard enough, I can remember my mother? I can remember her holding me in her arms. But I can never remember what it felt like." He shook the flakes that were falling out of his white hair, and his bangs fell into his eyes.

North knew one day, Jack would learn that living in the past is a terrible mistake, but for now, he would have to try help him see.

"Jack, I went through a time like that once. I was an orphan, so naturally, I longed for parents. But I found no love in the world, so I chose wrongly. I chose to shut down those desires, and to become a cold-hearted outlaw. I would've lived my whole life that way, if Manny had not told me a secret one night. But He let me do it my way first. He always has a reason, Jack. I had stopped caring, and He showed me that caring was what I do best."

"Why couldn't He just tell me, though?" Jack burst out. "What harm would it have done?"

"I don't know. Maybe you'll never know. But He has a reason. Jack, you need to feel the pain, but don't let it control you. All too soon, you will find yourself scared of it, and fear is the worst enemy of them all. It will devour your soul. I've seen it happen."

There was a soft sigh. Then, "What do you think I should do, North?"

"Reach out to the ones you love, and we will be there for you. Never forget that."

For a long time, they sat in silence: an old man still strong, and a young man in a moment of weakness

But weakness is not always a curse.

Eventually, the Guardian of Wonder got to his feet and left, patting the other on the shoulder as he went.

Once he was gone, Jack slipped out of the Pole and flew up to the top of the observatory roof. He leaned his back on the thick metal rod that pointed at the sky and gazed out over the frozen Arctic peaks.

Over the last year, he's matured considerably. He was still the Guardian of Fun, and at heart, all playfulness and mischief, but he'd learned that there was a time and a place for fun. Facing Pitch, and the possible end of the Guardians, had been a reality check for Jack.

All this loneliness had grown out of the events of March, when he'd gotten his memories. A strange longing had been born in his heart, a feeling that there had to be someone out there like him.

"I can't be the only one," he whispered to the cold wind as it brushed his face, blowing his hair into static proportions.

The night sky glowed with stars, and as he looked up, he saw one of them race across the sky and flare brightly before burning out. A shooting star.

"If there's someone out there," he said softly, "someone who grants wishes, please, I don't want to be alone anymore."

He felt exhausted, and considered returning to the party, but he didn't think he had the courage to face his friends yet.

He gazed up at the moon, which was crescent-shaped and very weak. It was odd, how the light seemed to grow dimmer as Jack looked at it.

And the lights of the Pole were fading a little...or was that his imagination?

Something wasn't quite right.

In a moment, Jack was on his feet, staff in hand, eyes watchful. There was something else at work here.

"Who's there?" he asked quietly, every muscle tense.

Shadows disconnected themselves from the walls, a lot of them, and came to hover around Jack, surrounding him. They were not ordinary shadows, either.

Humanoid shapes, with great gaping spaces for eyes. They were shadowy and transparent, but quite definitely alive. They hissed incoherently, bobbing around Jack.

"What are you?" he managed, steadying his voice with effort.

The writhing black mass ceased hissing all at once, and the silence seemed to bite at Jack's eardrums.

Then, another voice spoke, one Jack had thought he'd never hear again.

"Jack Frost. So good to see you again!" And the figure of Pitch Black stood next to Jack. He was tall and menacing, with long sweeping black robes, and a sharp grey complexion. His golden eyes were full of dark humour.

He saw Jack's face and chuckled. "Never thought you'd see me again, eh, Frost? Your little Nightmare trick was indeed clever, but you seriously have a lot to catch up on! Surely the Guardians have told you the stories of all my defeats?"

Jack swallowed. "They have. You always _lose_."

"Indeed. But another thing they all have in common: I always _come back_. _Always_. And this time, I won't lose."

"You sound pretty confident, considering your record, Pitch Black."

Pitch smiled, his lip curling cruelly, and waved to the creatures around them. "The Nightmare King is more prepared than the Guardians suspect. I've been waiting for this. Enough talk, Frost. You're too much of a threat, so I'm just going to remove you from the equation before we even begin. I'd hate for my New Years' finale to flop."

Jack stared at him. "You coward! I'd like to see you try!"

The grey man smirked and snapped his fingers. "Jack Frost, meet the Fearlings."

And Jack found himself trying to fend off the ghoul-like shadows. There were hundreds of them, and the blasts of ice he shot at them went straight through their bodies.

As he spun in place, trying to see through the shapes, he realized something: Pitch had escaped, leaving his…Fearlings to do the dirty work for him.

Jack yelled in anger and caught the wind, shooting into the air, hoping to lose the Fearlings, but they swirled up after him.

Being caught helpless in the middle of a black cloud of Dark creatures far above the Arctic was not how Jack had imagined his Christmas Eve would go.

Then, a shadowy hand brushed across his vision, and he was swept away.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Good, the Bad, etc

**Flashbacks! Gotta love 'em!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else**

Mary's round excited face full of relief.

"You did it!"

Jack grinned across the ice at her, but it was premature. He flung out his hands as the world tipped, a great cracking sound filling the clear winter air, and then the lake swallowed him up, jagged ice like teeth pointed up at the sky.

And then Jack felt his lungs filling with frigid water, and he knew he was dying.

Then, he was running into Burgess, full of adrenaline and excitement with his newfound powers. He turned to the nearest man and said, "Hello?"

The man walked past, ignoring him.

Jack saw a little kid running towards him, and he bent down. "Oh, excuse me, could you tell me where I am—" but the child ran right through him.

He stood for a moment, gasping in shock. Then, a woman walked through him as well. And more people. It was as though Jack weren't there.

"Hello?" he cried. "Hey!"

And then it hit him, a wave of harsh realization. _They can't see me. It's like I'm not even here._

It scared him, badly. He turned and left the village behind, fleeing into the forest.

Suddenly, he was flying in the night sky, fighting Pitch with Sandy. And then, the darkness spread its way up Sandy's Dreamsand, engulfing the Island of the Sleepy Sands in dark Nightmare sand. Sandy's brow furrowed, as he fought, but it vain.

Then, his little golden body was blackening, the sand spinning around his face, and he closed his eyes and dissolved into darkness.

Jack was facing Pitch once again, with the children behind him and three of the Big Four beside him, as the bank of Nightmare sand rose higher above Burgess, the Nightmare King's taunts echoing out of the gloom.

Jack felt disconnected, somehow. It felt almost like deja vu. _But wait. It is. These are my memories, all the worst ones._

Another voice spoke in his mind, a soft whispery one.

I HAVE SUFFERED AS WELL. SEE WHAT THE MASTER DID TO ME.

Another memory began, one that wasn't Jack's. He immediately recognized the location as Pitch's Lair, where he'd gone once before. It was gloomy, the faint light grey and cold on the rocky cavern walls. In the middle of the cave cages rose from the rock, connected with spiky tendrils to the ceiling.

Pitch stood near one of these cages, surrounded by Fearlings, two boys cowering on the stone at his feet. One was very small, and the other a young teenager.

The Nightmare King smirked down at them, and the little boy began to sob hopelessly.

The teen scrambled to his feet, his fists clenched. "You don't scare me, monster! My mother told me all about you!"

The black-robed spirit leaned down close to the boy and narrowed his eyes. "Not scared, you say. Then how can you see me?" he laughed. "No, Mark, you are _very_ frightened. You will make an excellent addition to my forces."

The teenager named Mark paled, his eyes widening. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Pitch's smile spread. "Your young friend will be able to tell everyone, don't fret. Everyone will know what became of you."

He reached out and grabbed the startled teen and lifted him off his feet. One grey thumb touched his forehead beneath the mop of black curls. The boy's body blackened and morphed into a creature identical to the ones floating around them.

The little boy still crouched on the floor stared, his tear-filled eyes huge and horrified.

"Now, little one," Pitch whispered as he leaned close to him. "You will return home and tell your friends and Mark's family about the Boogeyman, and how he changed Mark into a Fearling. Spread the word: the Nightmare King has returned!"

The other Fearlings burst into hisses and chatters, and the frightened little boy was swept away.

HE MADE ME THIS. NOW I SERVE ONLY HIS WISHES. AND I WILL TURN YOU, JACK FROST, AS WELL. YOUR POWER WILL MAKE US STRONG. YOU HAVE MUCH FEAR.

Jack tried to focus on his breathing. Anything to stay connected to reality. He wasn't going to let this thing change him. What he'd just seen was so wrong, so twisted, it made him angry.

 _Kids are supposed to have fun. Not be terrorized and changed into fear-demons._

He thought of his own sister Mary's face, laughing at his tricks and antics. _I died, but I saved her life. That matters far more._

He remembered the fun he'd had for three hundred years, making ice, huge snowstorms, and pretty frost patterns, and playing with millions of children.

He thought of Tooth, and all the good work she did, of Bunny's soft heart under all that Aussie roughness, North's delight in the world; and he remembered that the Sandman hadn't really become Nightmare Sand. He'd come back, and helped them win.

He thought of Jamie, and Sophie. And Pippa, Cupcake, and so many more.

Himself swearing the Guardian Oath on the lake in front of all of them.

And then Mary's face slid back into his vision, her brown eyes gleaming with happiness.

And Jack's eyes opened.

The Fearlings were gone. But he was falling, very fast, without his staff, and he was hanging onto a boy he'd never seen before, but recognized as Mark from the dream. The boy was unconscious.

Jack looked around, desperately, his hair whipping around his face.

In the dark, all he could see was huge dark mountain shapes all around, with a cluster of lights below, gleaming off the surrounding frozen body of water.

"Wind!" he yelled, "Help us!"

But his staff was gone. Without it, he couldn't control the wind.

It laughed around his face, taunting him.

The rooftops loomed, and Jack hit one, losing his grip on the boy, who tumbled out of sight. He bounced off and smashed his head on a balcony, then found a courtyard hurtling towards him.

He smacked onto snow-covered cobblestones, dazed and in pain, and just lay there, with no will to do anything.

Then the sky above spun, turned blacker than ever, and faded away.


	4. Chapter 4 - Eyes Like Yours

**Chapter 4 - Eyes Like Yours**

Arendelle was a small kingdom, but Arendelle had seen great things.

It was a small kingdom in Norway, prosperous, with many trading partners to make it self-sufficient off of the cloth, lumber, and ice export.

The castle had been built out on the peninsula in the fjord, with the rest of the town sprawled up the base of the mountain. The people of Arendelle were hardy, contented folk, who'd seen the impossible take place. Nothing could surprise them.

In the castle lived two sisters, recently reunited after years of separation. One of the sisters, the princess, was asleep in her private chambers with her husband.

The other, the queen, was wide awake.

It was Christmas Eve, and she was curled up in her favourite window seat, thinking about how happy she was.

This queen was of medium height, rather thin, with a pale, heart-shaped face, and a mane of platinum-blonde hair loose down her back. She was wearing a pale blue nightgown that shimmered slightly if she moved. Her soft blue eyes were fixed on the little town she could see from her window, and all the candles and lamps that lit the night.

Below, in the courtyard, the snow glittered in the warm glow of the torches that hung in sconces from the walls.

The young woman smiled. _My snow._

Finally, she was truly free. She'd spent her whole life hiding her powers from the world, afraid she'd hurt someone, like she'd once hurt her own little sister. But this summer, at her coronation, she'd gotten so frustrated, she'd let go and revealed her powers to Arendelle.

She's run into the mountains, not knowing how to fix her mistake. Her sister had come after her, and it had appeared everything boiled down to love. She could melt her ice with a common emotion.

Queen Elsa smiled and tucked her feet under her, admiring the small bit of the starry sky she could see between the mountains. Her sister Anna was four months pregnant, a tiny niece or nephew for Elsa growing inside her.

The thought made Elsa grin with pleasure, and she reached out and drew a frosty flower on the window. She was hoping for a niece. It was still weird to think of Anna as being married and pregnant, but she was slowly getting used to it.

Three days ago, on the Winter Solstice, she and Anna had appeared before the gathered people of Arendelle and rung the Yule Bell, officially beginning the holidays, and reinstating the royal tradition that had ended when Elsa had been separated from Anna.

She had everything she could want this Christmas. Tomorrow, there would be a candlelight service at the chapel, and gifts for everyone, and a splendid dinner, and loads of chocolate, but none of that was necessary. Elsa would've been happy without it all. But Anna would be determined, and she'd even planned a Yule Ball, inviting all Arendelle's most valuable trade partners.

Elsa sighed.

"The Council will be watching me," she said softly to the empty room. "They'll be hoping I'll take a fancy to some young prince, or duke, so they can have a proper male ruler for Arendelle." She made a scoffing sound. "Likely. Besides, who'd want to marry the dangerous snow queen?"

The young woman sighed, wishing there was some way she could escape for a day or two, run up into the mountains, perhaps, and spend some time adventuring. It would ease some of the pressure the Council put on her.

As she mulled this over, considering its possibilities, her eyes were drawn by a movement in the sky.

She leapt to her feet when she realized that it was two figures falling, and fast, straight towards the courtyard below.

They hit a roof, bouncing off, and let go of each other, crashing onto the cobblestones.

Elsa's heart was racing.

She turned and put on her shoes, wondering if she was dreaming. She hurried out into the hall, worry written all over her face.

 _Where did they fall from? Would they have even survived the impact? Is this some strange late-night hallucination?_

She brushed past the startled guards through the outer castle doors and out into the night. The snow had begun to fall thickly, and she ran to the nearest still figure, sprawled in the snow.

He was young, perhaps twelve or thirteen, with a mop of black curls and a huge purple bruise growing on his chin.

"Wake up," Elsa shook his shoulder, terrified he was dead. She had no idea what dead people looked like. The boy made no move.

 _Maybe the other one_. Elsa scrambled up and hurried over to the other still person. He lay face-down, his arm tucked under him at an odd angle.

She noticed that his hair was unnaturally white, even whiter than her own.

 _White like the snow._ Which was falling faster by the minute. And she was in control, so it must be a natural snowstorm.

She knelt next to him and reached out, grasping his shoulders. "Please! You have to wake up! Come on!"

The boy groaned and rolled over, and Elsa caught her breath.

She'd never seen anyone with such clear blue eyes in her life. He stared at her, trying to wipe the blood off his cut lip, and she suddenly noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, his bare toes the colour of the snow.

"Aren't you cold?" it popped out before she knew what she was saying, and she flushed, embarrassed.

The young man continued to stare at her, but a sly grin slipped onto his face.

"Not 'Hello', not even a 'Who are you?', just 'Aren't you cold?' Yes, I am, ma-am. It's a personal hazard for me. I'm Jack Frost."

The queen gaped at him, and then she said, "How hard did you hit your head?"

The boy laughed, then winced. "Pretty hard, I think. Hang on, where am I?"

"The kingdom of Arendelle. You fell out of the sky a few moments ago, along with that boy over there. Where did you fall from?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. It's a rather long story." He scrambled to his feet, staggering a little, obviously dizzy. "Where did you say Mark was?"

She automatically reached out to steady him, then caught herself. "Over here. I don't know if he's all right."

They knelt next to the younger boy, and the white-haired one slid two fingers down his neck. He nodded to her, looking relieved. "He's alive."

"How can you tell?" she stared at him.

"His heart's still beating." He noticed her look and offered his hand. "Here, I'll show you how to tell."

Elsa was unsure of what to do. She had no idea who this person was, or if he even knew what he was talking about. Suppose he meant her harm? She finally reached out, her hand shaking, and allowed him to show her where to put her fingers to feel the boy's heart rate. She could feel the blood thudding slowly beneath her fingertips, but she had forgotten all about that.

His hands were so cold, they sent shivers down her spine.

"Come," she said. "Come inside. It's too cold out here. Can you carry him in?"

He nodded, getting to his feet and running away a few steps, to lean down a pick up a long stick from the cobblestones. He held it out to her. "Can you carry this?"

She took it from him, frowning. "Why?"

"I don't have a free hand." He moved to gather Mark in his arms, and then turned back to her. "Do you have guards?"

"Yes."

"Can you also distract them or something?" he lifted the boy. "It would be weird for them to see Mark floating along all by himself."

"Come again?" she blinked. "What about you?"

"They won't see me," he replied with certainty.

Elsa turned to the castle, wondering what she was getting into, and just as she mounted the steps, she noticed something.

The snow had stopped falling.


	5. Chapter 5 - Pinch Me

**Chapter 5 - Pinch Me**

Queen Elsa of Arendelle had never found herself in a situation quite like the one she was in.

It was nearly midnight on Christmas Eve, and here she was, with two strange males in her private apartments, who'd apparently fallen from nowhere.

And one of them claimed to be Jack Frost.

Her own childhood hero.

She shook those thoughts from her head and led the white-haired one into her little sitting room, and over to a velvet settee.

"Over here. Lay him down here."

Once the younger boy was properly resting on the settee, still out cold, she turned to the taller one. "I hope he's alright. Where the _blizzards_ did you two fall from?"

He reached up and touched his temple, wincing again. "Good question." He paced away a few steps, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. He started counting on his fingers. "Let me see: disaster at dinner, heart-to-heart with Santa Claus, Pitch Black is back, he has freaky fear-demons that used to be kids, and this boy," he turned around and knelt next to the settee, and looked at him with concern, "used to be one, it appears."

Elsa sighed. "You definitely hit your head."

He looked up. The tense look on his face was replaced by one of sly mischief. He reached for the staff Elsa held, but she found herself backing away several steps, holding it away from him.

"You, sir, need to explain yourself. Tell me exactly what it is you plan to use this thing for."

He got to his feet and followed her, and she found herself backed into a corner. She had to look up at him, which annoyed her. "How do I know you're not some assassin on a clever mission to kill me the moment I give you this?"

He smirked down at her. "Snowflake, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead, trust me."

He was awfully close now. She'd never been so close to a man before. She gazed up into his eyes, trying to remember what she was doing, and saw that the markings around his pupils were shaped like snowflakes.

Snowflakes...in his eyes. Something triggered in her memory, but then it was gone again.

"Just give me the staff," he said.

"Please," she found her voice, "just tell me who you are."

He sighed a little. "I already did, ma'am. I'm Jack Frost. I didn't ask to be here, all right? It just happened like that!"

She saw her chance and dodged around him, upset, nervous. "I can't trust you. You're not Jack Frost, because he's an old man with a long beard, not some beanpole teenager—no offense."

"No, wait," he followed her, "Hang on. An old man? No wonder you're having problems with this. Here, if you just give me the st-AFF!" he lunged for it.

Elsa reflexively yanked it away. "I said, _no_!" she fled across the sitting room, trying to keep it from him.

"Come on!" he growled, dodging around the unconscious boy on the settee to cut her off. "Just _give_ it to me!"

"No!" Elsa skirted around him and dashed under his out-flung arm. "What's so special about it anyways? It's just a stick!"

"Just a _stick_? It is _not_! Let me have it!" He caught her round the waist, and spun her around, prying the staff from her fingers.

Her eyes flashed in anger, and she focused, lashing a rope of shining ice around his shoulders, making it twist its way around him several times.

She stepped away from him, breathless.

The boy gaped at her, his eyes very round, slack-jawed. "Wh-wh-w—" he spluttered, looking down at the ice rope that pinned his arms to his sides, then back at her.

"Now give me the staff," she said.

"Yo-you have ice powers?" he finally managed, clearly flabbergasted, " _Ice powers_?" and then, to her astonishment, he burst into hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?" she put her hands on her hips, upset.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself, closed his eyes for a moment, and then blew out gustily. "Nothing. Well, except perhaps, this…" he leaned to the side to touch the end of the staff to the wooden floorboards, where a silvery, glittering pattern began to grow, across the floor, under Elsa's feet, and up the walls.

He grinned cheekily at her. "Maybe that."

Elsa gawked.

And the other boy woke up and rolled onto the floor with a painful crash.

Both of them rushed over to him, and Elsa knelt next to him, while Jack stood awkwardly behind her, useless and tied up.

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" she reached out and felt his forehead.

The boy blinked up at her, clearly dazed. "What...happened? Wh-who are...you?"

Elsa looked up at her captive. "You're the one who knows. Can you tell him?"

He frowned. "Yeah, but you have to let me go."

She waved her hand at him, and the ice dissolved into a thousand tiny flakes, which collected in a snowflake shape near the ceiling and burst, vanishing.

She looked back at them, and found them both staring at her in admiration.

"You're free," she glared at the older one. "Get on with it."

When the boy on the floor looked back at the other, he drew back slightly. "Jack Frost," he breathed.

The older one knelt next to him, slid an arm around him, and helped him onto the settee. Elsa scooted up on the other side, hoping to finally get the truth. Everything seemed to prove that this skinny teenager was who he said he was, but how could she know for sure?

"Your name is Mark, right?"

Mark nodded. "So, you remember it. All of it."

"Yes, I do. How many more like you are there?"

"More than I could count. Hundreds, maybe, thousands, even. But you got me out. Could you do it for all of them, too?"

"I don't know," the white-haired boy replied gravely. "I hardly know how I saved you. This is all new to me."

Elsa held up a hand. "Ok, stop for a moment. Could someone please explain what you're talking about?"

Mark spoke up. "There's an evil King of Nightmares called Pitch Black who's making kids into shadow creatures called Fearlings."

She blinked. _Not what I was expecting._ "O...k...then. Carry on. I'm dying to hear more about this...Pitch Black."

"I was a Fearling," the dark-eyed boy continued, "and a lot of us attacked Jack, and when he tried to fly away, I made him see all his worst memories. But he deflected all his happiest ones back at me, so I was able to push Pitch out of my head."

"And then we fell, because I didn't have my staff," the white-haired one added, "because I can't fly without it."

"Fly?" Elsa felt overwhelmed. It was all so crazy, and she had a sinking feeling she'd fallen asleep at her window and was dreaming.

"Pinch me," she said softly to no one at all.

The white-haired boy leaned across Mark, grinning, and did just that.

"Ouch! Excuse me?"

"You're not dreaming, Your Royalness, or whoever you are. This is real, all of it."

She stood, her heart racing. She knew now.

He was Jack Frost.

How did she know for sure? _When his fingers touched me out in the courtyard, I thought he was just freezing out there. But here, inside, after a long time of warmth and him chasing me, he's still ice cold._ Did it make such a difference?

 _Well, yes._ The cold never bothered her. But his touch made her shiver.

She turned and swept her gaze across him, seeing him in new light. White hair. Those gorgeous blue eyes. Bare feet. Staff. Cold skin. Flying. And that crazy story.

She felt awed. Her childhood hero was here in her castle, in her own room.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Frost," she murmured breathlessly, "I should've believed you. And I never introduced myself: I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

He stood and bowed slightly, but his eyes glinted with delight. "Glad to finally meet you, Your Highness. Call me Jack. May I ask you where you got your powers from?"

She smiled a little. "I was born with them. What about you?"

"They were given to me," his eyes lost their sparkle, and his smile faded. She sensed emotional hurt behind those words, but she didn't want to pry.

And it was past midnight.

"Tomorrow is Christmas," she straightened up, "which is going to be a big deal this year. All of Arendelle's most influential trade partners will be arriving in the morning, and we will hold a grand celebration and a Yule Ball in the evening. Would you two like to stay?"

Mark jumped to his feet, pain forgotten. "Yes, ma-am!" then he ducked his head, embarrassed. "I mean, I'd love to. I don't have a family, or anyone, really. I used to live on the streets."

"I'm sorry," she reached out and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I happen to know that there are several families in town who are looking for hired help, Mark, if you're interested. You could live here, find new friends, a family."

He grinned and swiped his curls out of his face. "That sounds amazing, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"And you?" she turned to face Jack, "Will you stay?"

His eyes were merry, a smile playing on his lips. "I suppose I could spare tomorrow, for you. One day shouldn't make much of a difference on the other end. I've never had a real Christmas before, not like you described."

"Well, we can't have that!" she laughed. "Come with me, gentlemen. I'll show you where you can stay for the night."


	6. Chapter 6 - Unusual Encounters

**So, my followers who are rereading this, how are you liking the fact that I'm giving Jack and Elsa more time together than in the original? The next two chapters are also in Arendelle. After that, the action begins!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Unusual Encounters**

Jack Frost had never seen anything like Christmas in Arendelle.

The night before had certainly been memorable. Being Jack Frost, he almost never slept, but when his eyes had beheld the bed meant for him, he'd welcomed it. Even immortals get headaches from hard falls, and Jack was no exception.

The room where Elsa'd led him was beautiful and ornate, with soft pale wallpaper, a giant window, and a huge oak four-poster bed with embroidered curtains and the softest sheets he'd ever felt before.

Two odd things happened that day, which Jack was not prepared for. The first was when Elsa's sister, Anna, came upon the three of them in a quiet corridor.

"Elsa?" Anna exclaimed, catching sight of Mark, "Who is this?"

The young queen stared at her sister, obviously wondering what to say. Finally she told the truth.

"Anna, meet Mark," she touched the boy's shoulder, "and Jack Frost," she smiled weakly at Jack. "Gentlemen, my sister, the Princess Anna."

She was shorter than Elsa, and her belly protruded beneath the periwinkle blue holiday dress she wore. Her eyes were the same colour as Elsa's, but she was rosy and freckled and warm, with a lot of fiery red hair knotted up behind her head.

Mark grinned. "Nice to meet you, Your Highness."

Jack just stood awkwardly, a fixed smile on his face, staring at the wall behind Anna. He knew she couldn't see him.

Anna stared at her sister. "Um...Elsa? What do you mean, 'Jack Frost'?"

Elsa reached out and tugged on Jack's sleeve, pulling him closer. "This is Jack Frost, Anna! Remember all the old stories we used to hear about him?"

The redhead shook her head. "Are you sure you're alright, Elsa?" she glanced at the place where Jack was standing. "There's nobody there."

"See?" Jack said softly to Elsa, "she can't see me. To her, I don't exist. Adults never believe in me, except for you." His eyes were tinged with sadness.

"Will she ever see you? I mean, is there some way to make her believe in you?"

He reached up and pushed the hair out of his eyes, smiling a little. "If you want, I can try."

"Yes, please."

Anna stepped closer and cleared her throat. "Uh...earth to Elsa! Who in the world are you talking to? Jack Frost was a fairytale character, not a real person. Are you sick? Did you sleep well last night?"

"Anna, please! I'm fine!" the queen took in a breath to say more, but instead yelped in surprise as Jack slid an arm around her waist from behind and flew up to the ceiling.

"Elsa?" The princess stared up at her sister, frozen in place. "Elsa, what's happening?"

There was a burst of laughter, and Mark leaned weakly against the wall, holding his sides in mirth.

"Un-HAND me, you little CREEP!" Elsa snarled, trying to reach back and hit him. She kicked out, and one of her heels flew off and shattered on the floor, missing Anna by inches.

"Elsa?"

"Let GO!" she jabbed her elbow into his stomach, and he sucked in his breath in pain.

"If you insist, Snowflake," he gasped, and he let go of her. Elsa shrieked as she plummeted, but he was below her before she could fall very far, and he caught her gently in his arms.

"Don't let me go," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, shaking.

Anna ran forward, flabbergasted. To her, it seemed as though her sister had suddenly levitated, though she was yelling and fighting someone.

And then she'd fallen, and Anna had made herself believe there was someone there, there had to be someone there, to catch her sister.

And there he was, standing before her, Elsa cradled in his arms, grinning playfully down at her.

"J-Jack Frost," she stuttered.

He set Elsa on her feet and bowed grandly to the room in general, and Mark began to clap. "Thank you, thank you. It was nothing, thank you. Pleased to meet you, Princess Anna."

Elsa reached up and slapped his cheek, fuming. "Y-you little beast! How dare you!"

He snatched her hand before she could withdraw it and leaned down to kiss it. "My humblest apologies, Snowflake. You asked me to make your sister believe in me, and I obliged."

He hopped over to where the shattered glass from Elsa's shoe lay, and stared down at the shards. _Ice. Really?_ He held out his hands, and the ice fragments responded, shooting back together like lightning. He knelt in front of Elsa and smirked up at her through his eyelashes. "May I?"

She huffed and flushed red, but she allowed him to put the shoe on her bare foot.

There was a sudden squeal. Everyone looked at Anna, who was hopping from one foot to the other, her hands over her mouth, delighted.

"What, Anna?"

"It's like a fairytale!" she said happily. "Except you're a queen, not a servant girl, and he's not the prince, he's Jack Frost!"

The queen glanced sideways at Jack, who had gotten to his feet and was still trying not to think of Elsa's small soft little foot inside that shoe. He was blushing, he knew it. _Snow, he thought, nice, cold, cold snow in my cheeks._

They were saved by the arrival of another person. He was tall and burly, very blonde, wearing a formal dark blue suit he looked highly uncomfortable in.

When he caught sight of Jack, he blinked several times, and then rushed forward, straight to the Spirit of Winter, a hand outstretched in greeting. "Jack Frost! Wow, this is amazing!"

Anna, Elsa, and Mark stared at the man, and Jack shook his hand, confused. "Do—do I know you?"

Anna, rushed forward, "This is Kristoff, my husband! Kristoff, you can see him?"

"Of course!" Kristoff was still staring at Jack, "He makes ice! I learned all about that from the trolls. My family," he explained to the teenager.

"...trolls." The Spirit of Winter looked rather shell-shocked. "Your family."

"Long story," Elsa cut in, but they were interrupted once again.

The second strange thing that happened that day: a talking snowman.

He was short, with an expressive face, and stick arms, coal buttons, and a carrot nose. And he was trotting down the hallway towards the group, grinning.

"Oh, hello! I've been searching everywhere for you all!"

"Hi, Olaf," Elsa smiled. "Merry Christmas."

"Who's the old guy?" The snowman stopped in the middle of the group and reached out a stick arm to Jack. "Hello! I am Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Elsa grinned. "'Old guy'," she mumbled.

Jack raised his eyebrows and gingerly shook the stick hand. "Olaf, huh? And you're alive, too?"

The snowman nodded exuberantly. "And you are-?"

"Jack Frost."

Olaf blinked, and then he started to jump up and down in excitement. "Jack Frost! You can do snow magic, like Elsa! Elsa, look, it's Jack Frost!"

Elsa laughed. "I know, Olaf. He's here for a visit."

"Ohhhh!" the snowman gasped. "A visit! Like, a forever visit? Or a leave-and-never-see-you-again visit?"

Jack blinked, and caught Elsa's own startled gaze over Olaf's head. _Leave-and-never-see-you-again. But I don't want to leave you, Snowflake._

Anna chuckled. "No, Olaf! For a Christmas visit!"

"Yeah," Jack agreed quickly, but he couldn't meet Olaf's wide innocent eyes. "A Christmas visit."

"Great! What are we waiting for?" the snowman grabbed Jack's sleeve and dragged him, the others following, laughing. "Let's have a Christmas visit!"

By the time everything had been explained to everyone and Mark had gone outside to find the rest of the children who were playing in the town, Jack was really starting to enjoy himself.

He'd never had such a good time with adults before. Especially the queen.

He kept catching himself watching her. He wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, but she drew him in a different way than the children did. And he was becoming more and more certain that she made her clothes out of ice. How, he had no idea, but that hardly mattered.

The dress she was wearing was a pale rose colour, with a long shear capelet that fell from her shoulders, and whenever she was in the sunlight, it sparkled and glittered, like it was made from millions of crystals.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Her wit and subtle sarcasm kept everything light, and her laughter delighted him.

She obviously found him likeable and interesting as well, which was new for him.

Toward the middle of the afternoon, after the Christmas service and lunch, Anna and Kristoff excused themselves so Anna could take a rest before the ball that evening, and Olaf disappeared to tell Mark what was going on.

And Jack and Elsa found themselves alone in the castle courtyard.

Elsa turned to him, almost shyly, and said, "Would—would you take me up into the mountains? I'd like to show you something."

He obliged, slipping an arm around her middle, and trying not to flush when she breathed in sharply, biting her lip. Soon they were soaring over Arendelle, riding the cold wind higher.

"Don't drop your staff," she said breathlessly to him, gazing down on her kingdom, tiny in the shadow of the great peaks.

Jack laughed. "I won't, Snowflake."


	7. Chapter 7 - All in the Golden Afternoon

**I couldn't resist. I had to put her ice palace in, somewhere.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - All In The Golden Afternoon**

Elsa led them to a high mountain blanketed in snow, and told him to land behind a cliff.

"Ok," she said, once her feet were resting on solid ground. "Come on, it's over here." And she began to walk around the side of the cliff.

Jack followed, insanely curious, wondering what could be hidden up here that was so important. As he rounded the rock wall, his eyes nearly bugged out in amazement.

There, across a chasm, tucked into the side of the tallest mountain, stood a magnificent, shimmering ice palace.

Right on the edge of the chasm, not ten feet away, a curved staircase made from ice led across to a set of double doors far above.

"Wow," was all he said, like a soft rush of breath.

But she heard him. "It's mine," she said, a little pink, but obviously pleased at his reaction. "I made it in July."

"Why didn't it melt?" he couldn't tear his gaze from the breathtaking view.

"My snow and ice don't melt, unless I want them to," she said simply.

Jack blinked. "Really?"

"Really. You want to see inside?"

He nodded enthusiastically, making his messy hair even more tousled. "Yes, please."

He followed her up the steps, hardly daring to touch his fingers to the snow-covered railings, they seemed so delicate. The doors opened by themselves into a wide hall, which glowed reddish-blue in the setting sunlight.

A huge snowflake design was inset in the glass-like floor, an archway at either end of the hall and a double staircase in frost, leading up to a second floor.

Elsa stopped in the middle of the snowflake and turned to watch him, and Jack felt in awe of the pretty picture.

The walls glowed soft light onto her, illuminating her glittering dress, her eyes bright with excitement, her hair falling out in wisps around her face from the flight.

He slowly walked forward, almost reverently, afraid to break that wonderful silence. When he got close, he looked down at her and whispered, "It's so beautiful."

Her eyes widened as she looked into his, but she didn't move. "Y-you like it?"

"Yes. Very much." He broke the close contact, feeling confused with himself, and decided it would be safer to take a look at the rest of the palace.

He trotted over to the stairs and began to run up, laughing as she giggled and followed him. "Where do you think you're going?"

Upstairs, the first thing Jack notices was the massive tiered snowflake chandelier that hung from above.

Then, directly after, he noticed the giant snow monster, which was zeroing in on him, looking angry indeed, and wearing a tiny...crown?

Elsa dodged in front of Jack, her arms held out, "Down, Marshmallow!" she said, laughing. "He's a _friend!_ "

The gigantic creature snorted and stomped away to another part of the palace.

"What was that?" Jack said, staring after it.

"Oh," she smiled at him, "that's Marshmallow. He's the guardian I made for this place. He's harmless, unless you mean _me_ harm!"

"Marshmallow. Did... _Olaf_ name him, by any chance?"

"Yes," she chuckled. "I guess he took a look at him and that's what he saw. Come."

She led him toward a set of doors, almost the same as the ones below, which also opened by themselves, leading out onto a balcony, far above the snowy mountain.

Jack went over to the railing, and peered down into the semi-darkness. The forest and snow below painted a beautiful picture, with the palace casting a glow of bluish light all around.

It was all ice as he'd never seen it before: feminine.

Thinking of that made him think of her dress, and he turned to look at it again. She had her back to him, that capelet hanging temptingly within his reach.

Gingerly, silently, he picked up the edge with two fingers. "Incredible," he breathed, "And it is made of ice. How in the w—MANNY'S SPOTTED TROUSERS!" he squeaked in surprise as she whipped around.

He dropped the train and backed away, his staff clasped behind him, a stupid grin on his face.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she said, fighting to keep a straight face.

He laughed nervously.

"Don't touch my dress."

"...b-but it's _ice_ ," he whispered.

"Of course it's ice," she rolled her eyes. "What else would it be? After, all, the cold never bothered me anyway."

"I've never seen anyone do that before," he said, "I've never even thought of it."

She looked at his hoodie. "What do you make your clothes from, then?"

"I don't," he replied. "This, I would have you know, is called a ' _hoodie_ ', and it was given to me by the Sandman himself! He said they're to be _very_ popular in the future." He struck a pose with his arms crossed and his nose in the air.

She laughed, and then sighed happily. "I used to dream of meeting you, Jack, but never like this. I thought, if I saw you, it would be a glimpse through the clouds far off, and then gone forever. And yet here you are."

"Here I am," he repeated. "Say, what do the people of Arendelle think of your ice powers?"

Her eyes clouded over. "They tolerate me, but they live in constant fear of me losing control."

"Why? Why would they think that?"

"Because—" she took a deep breath, "because they've seen me do it before."

"Wait, are you saying you lost control of your powers?" he looked surprised. "That's hard for me to believe, after seeing you use them so naturally."

"But I did. It was this summer, at my coronation. Anna and I were separated from each other when we were little, because my parents wanted her to be safe. I never left the castle, I rarely left my room. I wore gloves to keep the ice controlled. And it all worked, for years and years." She turned away from him and went over to look out over the railing, and continued.

"My parents died at sea, on the way to my cousin Rapunzel's wedding, and the kingdom was left with no ruler. I felt like my world had ended. But I forced myself to study, and I learned how to be a queen, and on the day of my coronation, Anna and I saw each other for the first time in years. But she thought she'd fallen in love with this strange prince we knew nothing about, and we had a fight, which ended in ice across the ballroom."

She looked up at him, tears standing in her eyes. "I could do nothing. So I ran. I ran all the way up here that night, and I built this castle for myself. But Anna followed me, and I...when she came here, and told me that the kingdom was under a snowstorm, I lost control and froze her heart. In return, she saved me from the prince who'd wanted to marry her who tried to kill me, and we found out that love…love melts my snow."

He didn't know what to say. It sounded like a nightmare to live through. "Love?"

"Yes! And I made it all go away, and we were happy again. But Arendelle…" she sighed. "They're still frightened, Jack. People will always be afraid of things they don't understand."

He paced away, running a hand through his hair, and then spun around. "Wait, so your parents locked you away, thinking that would help?"

"Just so. What else could they do?"

"Oh, I don't know," he growled, eyes narrow, "Maybe tried to find a _better way_? I mean, who in their RIGHT MIND is going to think that being AFRAID of yourself will _help_ you?" he was angry, and he was shouting, but he couldn't help it. "Shutting your child away is NEVER the answer! It makes them _afraid_ , and _insecure,_ and—" he grit his teeth, unable to continue.

She was staring at him in horror. "Jack?"

"I'm sorry," he wilted, shoulders sagging. "Elsa, kids...kids are my life. To me, what your parents did borders on abuse. I...I could've—should've been there. I wish I'd known." He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of it all.

Then, he felt her taking his hands in hers. "Jack, they loved me, but they didn't know about you. It was for the best." She snorted softly to herself. "You are right, you know. All parents make mistakes, and we have to accept that."

He sighed. "I still wish I'd been there."

She smiled. "Come now, don't go wishing for the impossible! You're here now, and that's what matters."

"I can't stay." He watched as her smile faded.

"You can't?"

"I have to go back to the North Pole, and warn the Guardians. Pitch Black is back, and we have to find him and take him down before he makes any more children into Fearlings."

"You're right." She squeezed his hands and let them go reluctantly.

"I wish I could stay," he said softly. "Maybe, when all of this is over, I can come back, and we can come up here and have a snowball fight."

Her laughter brought his smile back. "I'd love that, Jack. And we have tonight, you know."

"Will you teach me to dance?" he teased, pretending to pirouette across the balcony.

She laughed again. "Of course. It's getting on. We should go back."

"I wish we could stay here _forever_ ," he said, looking out at the mountains again.

"Me too." She smiled again. "But it's Christmas. And there's a party. Wouldn't want to miss that, would you?"

"Not for the world."


	8. Chapter 8 - Love is an Open Door

**Ok, I'm sorry for the random OOC moment near the end. I accidentally wrote myself into the story, instead of Elsa making the decisions, hence the sudden mischief. But I got attached to it, so I'm not taking it out. Chalk her actions up to hanging out with the Guardian of FUN having effects on her.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Love Is An Open Door**

At Elsa's coronation, the fjord had been full of ships, from all of Arendelle's invited trade partners. But it was winter, so they'd arrived in sleighs over the ice from everywhere, parking them in the sheltered harbour and covering them in tarps to keep off the snow.

Important officials and members of royal families had been arriving all day, and entertained within the castle, and at the market, set up in the town square especially for the occasion.

The castle itself glowed in the night with all the candles and torchlight, the halls and corridors filled with the rich smells of ginger, cumin, nutmeg, and cloves, underlaid with fresh pine and holly.

Maids stepped cautiously, so as not to be caught beneath the mistletoe that hung over every door opening. Being caught and kissed was pleasant, but tonight tradition and good luck couldn't get in the way of the royal ball.

The ballroom was already filling as the guests arrived from all over Arendelle, the servants kept busy stowing wraps and cloaks out of the way, until they were needed again.

Jack set Elsa down on the balcony outside her own apartments to allow her time to fix herself up, and he found his own way to the ballroom.

He had no trouble at all slipping past the guards into the room, but he stopped once inside to take it all in.

The dancing had already begun, so he was treated to a view of hundreds of swirling gowns, mostly green, red, and white in hue, and many lined with fur.

A group of musicians played a fast waltz in one corner, and in another, guests stood around a line of tables, which were loaded with all kinds of delicious finger foods.

Servants wandered between the guests carrying trays of champagne glasses.

Jack spotted Kristoff, but not Anna. He noticed Mark in the corner, talking to a few other teenagers his age.

The waltz ended, and the room grew silent as a man mounted the dais and faced the crowd. "The Princess Anna of Arendelle," he said grandly, and Anna appeared to the side, smiling happily, and she mounted the dais as the man continued, "And Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Elsa emerged from the other entrance, and all eyes were drawn to her.

She glided across the room in a dress made of dark blue ice with tiny bits of silver glitter on the bodice and a matching capelet that floated behind her, and the neckline of the dress was trimmed in white fur. She stepped up next to Anna and they smiled at each other as everyone applauded.

"Thank you," the queen's voice was soft, and everyone quieted down to hear. "Thank you all for coming to our newest tradition: our Yule Ball! We look forward to getting to know each of our trade partners in person. Tonight is for you, so please make yourself at home, and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."

She nodded to the musicians, who began to play a popular folk-dance tune, and the dancing began again.

Jack flew into the air to see better, and noticed a well-dressed middle-aged man heading towards Elsa, who rearranged her featured into a cold but tolerant expression.

The man nodded to her, and said something, and she narrowed her eyes but replied civilly. When he spoke again, she excused herself and moved away towards Anna, leaving him looking after her in frustration. Anna was chattering away with another young woman, who had short brown hair and the greenest eyes Jack had ever seen, and who was exclaiming over Anna's baby bump.

Jack followed Elsa and dropped down next to her, earning a slight gasp when she noticed him, and then a quick smile.

"Elsa!" the brown-haired young woman flung herself at Elsa, embracing her tightly.

The queen laughed. "Rapunzel! It's so good to see you! How's Uncle Frederic and Aunt Arianna?"

Rapunzel smiled. "They send their good wishes and are sorry they had to stay in Corona. And Eugene's here too!" she reached out and tugged the sleeve of a nearby man, who turned, and grinned when he saw Elsa.

"Queen Elsa!"

She curtsied to him. "It's good to see you again as well, Eugene."

"How are things since summer? I heard you're making quite a few changes as Arendelle's new queen—and the Council's been ruffled." He smirked.

She frowned. "Let them be. If father hadn't made laws about their dismissal, I'd have had a more supportive Council already."

"They disapprove of her as queen," Anna added. "Especially because she's so young."

Rapunzel glared at them all, and pretended to smack her husband. "You promised not to talk about work, Eugene! It's Christmas! Come on, you haven't even asked me to _dance_ yet!"

He smiled tenderly down at her and tucked her hand under his arm. "I will, Blondie. When this one's finished."

He nodded to Elsa, and they moved off with Anna in tow, and Elsa turned to Jack. "Hello, stranger."

He wrinkled up his nose. "I thought we were past that."

"You're right," she laughed.

"You look amazing," he mumbled nervously.

"That's sweet," she went a little pink and glanced over her shoulder, to see if anyone had heard. But of course they hadn't. "Thank you."

"Is it true, what that guy was saying? About your Council?"

"Yes," her face fell. "It is. I've been trying my best to rule fairly, to make sure the poor are treated the same as the nobles, and no one lacks opportunity, but each time I try to make something better, those old warthogs are there, standing in the way, determined that things are all fine and they should remain the same."

She sighed and smiled at him. "I'm sorry. I was going to teach you to dance, wasn't I?"

"Your Council sounds like a pail of reindeer dung," Jack said. "Is there no way you could get of them?"

"Not any legal way. And I haven't been able to research it properly, everything's been stressful since I became queen. There's so much that needs to be done."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Jack's mind. He grabbed her by the shoulders, his eyes shining. "Come with me, Elsa! Come with me and see the Pole, and meet my friends!"

"That would be crazy!" Elsa looked rather startled. "Me, meet the Guardians? And what about that freaky Nightmare King you were talking about?"

"He told me himself: he's planning his attack for New Years'! That gives us six whole days to get you back! And you'll get a break from Arendelle, and your Council."

The queen stood there, staring up at him, a slow smile pulling at her lips. Jack waited, and he realized what he was doing and let her go. She bit her lip and looked around, obviously thinking. And then, her eyes lit up, and her smile became mischievous.

"I'd love to, Jack. I'll come. But one condition." She held up her finger, eyeing him solemnly.

"Anything."

"You have to catch me first!" And she dodged around the pillar and out the nearest exit.

Jack stood frozen for a moment, shocked. This was so out-of-character for what he knew of her that he barely realized what had happened. And then, he raced after her, laughing.

In the corridor, he saw her capelet swishing out of sight around a corner, and he leapt into the air in hot pursuit.

He saw her glance back, eyes widening to see him flying, and she reached down to catch up her capelet and dodged through a door and around another corner, past a startled maid, and up a staircase.

Jack was close, right on her heels. He dropped down, laughing, and ran, overtaking her swiftly with his long legs. She shrieked with mirth when he caught her and spun her around, chortling gleefully.

The hall grew quiet as she caught her breath and faced him. He blinked when she looked up at him, and his heart started to race as he pulled her closer.

She was so small and delicate, gazing up at him almost in fear, tantalizingly close. He felt an unexpected urge to close the small space between them and kiss her, but he fought it, instead drawing her into dance partner position, with one hand on her waist and the other grasping her fingertips.

She frowned. "I thought you said—"

"That I couldn't dance?" he grinned. "Well, I guess I was wrong, eh, Snowflake? You learn a lot of you've lived for more than three hundred years." He hummed a little and started to waltz.

She followed his lead, but she was staring at him. "Three hundred years?"

"Yeah. I'm immortal." He knew now that that was his reason for not kissing her. It wouldn't be fair to her to fall in love with an immortal person.

"Immortal," she said the word slowly, and she looked as though she were seeing him for the first time. "What's it like, living so long?"

"Lonely." They slowly turned, waltzing to an imaginary tune in the moonlit hallway.

Finally, Elsa said, "Why do you call me Snowflake, Jack?"

He flushed and looked away. "When—when I first saw you, before I knew you had ice powers, that's when it came to me. I thought you looked as beautiful as a snowflake. They're small, yet flawless, and each one is different than all the others."

She smiled softly. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you."

He returned the smile, and silence reigned for several moments as they danced alone. And then finally, Elsa spoke up again.

"I'll come with you, Jack. Take me to see your Guardians."


	9. Chapter 9 - Queen for a Day

**Quick note: I didn't make a mistake with the letter, don't worry. It comes back later.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Queen For A Day**

It was well past midnight, and Elsa and Anna were in Elsa's apartments, away from the celebration that was still carrying on full-volume downstairs. Elsa had dragged her sister up here to tell her of her last-minute holiday plans, and make sure Anna could hold down the fort until she returned.

"But you _can't_ go!" her sister's wail filled Elsa with guilt.

"Anna, please! I need to do this! I need to step away for a moment, and come at this fresh."

"What'll I do without you?"

Elsa turned from where she sat at her desk, scribbling some last-minute letters of instruction to her Council. "Anna. You'll be fine! You remember the lessons, right?"

Her sister nodded, but she still looked worried. "I was never ready to be queen, Elsa. It was always you. I'm still not ready."

"You don't have to be queen. You just have to look after things for a day or two. Besides, you have Kai if you need sound advice from anyone." The middle-aged servant had been her father's friend, and he was like an uncle to them.

"I know," Anna turned and lowered herself onto Elsa's bed, breathing a sigh of relief. "But Jack Frost, how do you know he's not going to kidnap you or something? How can you trust him?"

The Queen felt a smile creeping onto her face. "Oh, Anna. He wouldn't do that!"

"How do you know that, Elsa? You've only just met him?"

Elsa laughed merrily, and came over to her sister, seating herself next to her. "Anna," she said gently, "Did you listen when I told you that?"

The redhead's worry lines relaxed, and she returned the smile. "No. And I don't expect you to. But _one_ of us has to be the voice of reason."

"It's unusual, coming from you," Elsa poked her sister playfully.

"Stop it! I'm pregnant!" she slapped Elsa's hand away. "But seriously, though, how do you know?"

Elsa smoothed out her dress and stood, making her way over to the window and waving her hand to remove the frost and look out at the stars.

"Anna, when you met Kristoff, did you know you could trust him?"

The young woman on the bed sighed. "No. He was rude and demanding, and he tried to bully Mr. Oaken. But he was my only chance of ever finding you, so I had to trust him."

The queen smiled. "But he grew on you. And you changed him. It took you two less than a day to fall in love. When did you start to trust him?"

There was a long silence, in which Anna stared off into space, thinking. Finally, she spoke, "When we were riding from the wolves, and he put me on his reindeer, knowing that at least Sven would make it across the chasm, even if the sleigh didn't."

"Anna, I trust Jack," Elsa turned away from the darkness outside and faced her sister. "The same way you trusted Kristoff. I may not know him very well, but I know what he can do, and what he hasn't done."

"What _hasn't_ he done?" Anna was on her feet, her eyes flashing. "What are you saying?"

Elsa blinked, and then started chuckling. "I forgot for a moment that you were pregnant. It's all right, ok? We flew up to the North Mountain today."

"You did? What was it like?" Elsa marveled at how quickly Anna changed from worried, to protective, to curious.

"It was...well, it was like nothing I've ever done before. That's when I really knew that I trusted him. You can't fly with someone unless you know they won't drop you along the way."

Anna chuckled. "Did you show him your ice palace?"

"I did," Elsa twisted her hands. "He loved it, a little too much, I think. I think he's confused with himself. He's spent more than three hundred years as Jack Frost, and he hasn't had a family at all."

"Three hundred years? Never getting older? I would go mad."

The ice queen nodded. "Me too. I don't know how he does it. But, Anna, I think...don't you find him... _attractive_?"

Anna grinned. "Yes, in a strange, cold sort of way. Nothing to Kristoff, but the moment I saw him, I felt like I was looking at you, though different. He compliments you, Elsa. Everything he does is the opposite of what you'd naturally do."

"Anna," Elsa came over to the bed and scooted up next to her. "Do you think he might be attracted to—to _me_?"

Anna laughed and wrapped her arm around Elsa's bare shoulders. "Yes. Can't you see it? The way he follows you everywhere, almost like a puppy, and his eyes always go back to you. You're a queen, Elsa, who has ice powers. I doubt he knows what to _do_ with you."

Elsa flushed. "Out in the hall, when we were running around and being foolish, there was a moment, a moment that I won't soon forget. He caught me, and when I looked up at him, he was watching me strangely, and he held me so close, I could feel his heart beating. And I thought he would...kiss me. But he didn't. I think you're right, Anna."

Anna folded her hand around her sister's cold one, leaning her head on her shoulder, a small smile playing about her face. "You're right too. You should go with him. He needs to build confidence, if what you were saying is right, and you could be a friend to him. And maybe, someday, more than a friend."

"Do you think—do you think he would ever find me worthy?" Elsa murmured. "He's Jack Frost, Anna."

"I think you have as much chance as any," her sister replied confidently. "And, seriously, he's taking you to meet the people he considers family, so I'd see that as a yes, Elsa."

"It didn't take me long to convince you, did it?"

The redhead drew herself up and looked down at her dancing slippers. "I'm still worried, Elsa. I could hardly not be. You've never been away from home before."

"I know. But I want to do this. I do. And when I come back, maybe things will be different." She pulled Anna to her feet. "You have to promise me you won't worry about me, all right?"

Anna sighed and bit her lip. "I'll try not to."

"Will you leave me alone for a moment?" Elsa asked.

"Yes," she replied, leaving and closing the doors behind her.

Elsa went over to her wardrobe and reached into the back, beneath her dresses, pulling out a wooden box.

Inside was a worn book, a tiny ice sculpture of her parents, and a letter, written in an unsteady, girlish hand.

She set the box down on her bed and took out the book, running her hands over the cover, which read "Lore & Legends". When she held it up, it opened automatically to a certain page, which was filled with Scandinavian runes, written around a picture of a bent old man wearing a blue robe, and who had a long white beard, twinkling blue eyes, and a crooked old walking stick in one gnarled hand.

She stared at the picture, trying to associate this man with the one she'd just met. She found if she blocked out the whole picture except for the eyes, she could see him. Those painted eyes were exactly the same blue as the real Jack's, and they glittered and shone the same.

And that's where she'd seen those beautiful snowflake-marked irises before.

She closed the book and placed it back on top of the letter and the painting, and stowed the box back in her wardrobe.

Leaning against the doors, she looked at her regular old room, exactly the same as it always was.

But she felt as though everything had changed.

"Jack Frost is here," she said aloud into the emptiness. "He's real, and he's alive, and I'm going on an adventure with him."

The words felt strange. The one person in the world she'd always longed to meet, but knew she never would had dropped into her own front yard.

"And he's waiting for me downstairs," she murmured, looking down at her holiday attire. "I can't wear this."

She swirled her hands at her dress, and it changed into her pale blue gown. She considered removing the capelet, but left it. If need be, she could always melt it, but she adored the feeling it gave her as she walked.

She stopped in front of her mirror and looked at herself, reading the excitement in her own eyes.

"I'm going on an adventure," she whispered. "With _Jack Frost._ "

She grinned and left the room, ready for anything life could toss her way.


	10. Chapter 10 - One Last Hope

**Chapter 10 - One Last Hope**

Mark was found, and it appeared he'd made friends and even found work. When he heard Jack was going back to the Pole to do something about Pitch, he looked relieved.

Bidding Anna and Kristoff goodbye in the dark courtyard was strange for Jack.

He'd never really had anyone to say goodbye to before.

He watched as Anna clung to her sister, and how Kristoff gathered them both in his arms protectively, and his heart longed for a family of his own, a real family. Someone he could come home to.

The ride through the night was short, leaving Elsa gasping for breath in the cold wind.

Jack held her close and pushed away all the things his brain wanted him to think of. Just friends, he thought determinedly. But deep in his heart, he knew that he'd fallen in love with her already. He would never have admitted it to anyone, not even himself.

He knew it wasn't right.

She kept her eyes pinched tight shut as they flew, faster than before.

He realized she probably had never been in the air like this, let alone riding the rushing, blowing wind, but he didn't slow down.

He was too excited.

Then, the night sky was lit up as though it were day, a rainbow of colours dancing around them in whispering sheets of light.

"The Northern Lights," Jack murmured.

Elsa looked around and saw the display, eyes wide, awe-struck. "It's so beautiful," she said quietly.

"It means trouble," Jack's eyes narrowed. "It means North has called us all. Or just me, if everyone else is still there."

They flew over the mountain peak, and down, down towards the Pole, which glowed white as the colours surged from it.

Jack dropped down into the snow outside the main doors, running forward with a cry of shock.

Most of the outer lights were out, and the door was ajar, swinging inward uselessly.

"Oh, Jack!" Elsa gasped.

He glanced back at her, eyes full of warning. He crept through the arch, staff held ready, expecting an ambush. When he was sure there was no one there, he beckoned to Elsa.

"This doesn't look good," he said softly. "Follow me, and stay close."

Inside, everything was dark, except for the faint moonlight that shone through the windows and the coloured lights that played in streams on the walls. The lift wouldn't run, so Jack scooped Elsa up and flew them down to the main hall, hardly able to take in what he was seeing.

The last time he'd been here, everything had been festive and cheery, lit up, delicious aromas in the air, and voices echoing.

The current state of the hall contrasted Christmas Eve in every way: the furniture lay in ruins, bits of holly and greenery strewn about, garlands and light strings torn apart, toys littering the floor.

"Hello?" Jack's voice echoed in the gloomy silence, "Anyone? North?"

"What happened, Jack?" Elsa whispered, her eyes big. "Was it Pitch?"

He shrugged helplessly, not processing her words. Then he caught sight of the Belief Globe, broken from its pole and lying sideways, blocking the entire other half of the hall, huge and ominously dark.

"The lights!" he cried out as he rushed over to the globe and reached out, eyes wide, watching as the tiny pinpricks of light flickered, dying by the hundreds. "It's happening all over again, just like last time!"

"What is?"

"The lights are children who believe," the Winter Spirit gave her a worried frown. "They're going out. That means Tooth and Sandy aren't collecting the teeth or sending out dreams. It must've been Pitch."

Elsa stared at him. "But I thought you said he wasn't going to do anything until New Years'!"

"I know I said that. He must've found out I escaped and changed his plans. I've been stupid!" he kicked at a piece of broken chair.

He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, Elsa was bending down where the chair had been, reaching to pick up something from the floor.

When she stood and turned to him, he saw she was holding a tiny wooden doll.

His eyes stung.

She saw his face and placed the doll in his hand. "Does this mean anything to you?"

"Yes, it does," he rasped around the lump in his throat. It was the centre of a Russian nesting doll, painted red with a child's face, and huge, round blue eyes.

"What is it?"

He sighed shakily. "It's Santa's centre: Wonder. It's the reason he's a Guardian, the motivation behind everything he does. Mine is Fun." He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out another doll, blue, with a mischievous smile and spiky white hair. "You have one, too."

Elsa gazed up at him. "I do? What is it?"

"That's for you to discover," he took a deep breath. "Follow me."

He turned and scrambled through the wreckage to the far end of the room, where another lift hung. Elsa hardly blinked when he pulled her close and flew down.

Beneath the main Hall was the Workshop, which was usually brightly-lit and buzzing with activity, all year-round. Now, the tables sat abandoned, the bright colours from above filtering down onto the tools and paints and toys.

"The electricity must've been knocked out," Jack murmured, leading her between the tables. "Everything but the Lights."

"What's 'tricity?" Elsa asked in confusion.

He glanced back at her. "The power behind the lights and machines. North discovered it centuries ago, way back when he was first training to be a wizard. It's not magic, he says, but science. Something's made it stop working."

She pondered that for a moment, following him towards the door at the other end. "Aren't there elves that help Santa?"

This brought a brief smile to Jack's haggard face. "There are, but they're not very good at it. Once, a long time ago, they were North's band of outlaws, before they became elves. The yetis do the toy making, and let the elves think they're helping."

He pulled open the door, revealing North's own study.

The table was full of trains and models, made from ice. Doll houses and building blocks made from ice littered the floor and desk. Sculpting tools were scattered across the main workspace, and a few towers of glittering ice blocks took up the rest of the floor.

"Welcome to Santa's own workshop," Jack couldn't help smiling at the queen's face.

"He uses ice?" she breathed.

"Yeah, just for tryouts. He enchants it to experiment." His eyes fell on the desk, where a scrap of paper lay near the Northern Lights generator. He hurried over and turned off the generator, and the humming light died away, allowing the moonlight to shine down through the pole, making a perfect circle on the floor.

The note read:

Jack,

Pitch is back, and he has Fearlings.

Don't stay here, not safe. The others

are overwhelmed, and I fear we are

outnumbered. Find us, Jack. We have

to stop him, before it's too late. Find

Ombric.

North

The name at the bottom was scrawled so quickly, he could barely make it out.

"Pitch took them," he said softly, knuckles whitening as he clutched the paper in his fist.

Elsa breathed in sharply. "So he is back?"

"Yes. C'mon, I'll take you back to Arendelle." He turned and found himself looking into a pair of angry eyes.

"I cannot believe you think I'm going to abandon you when things get rough! I am not leaving you to fight him alone."

"Are you serious?" he couldn't believe his ears.

"Dead serious," she glared at him. "You don't have to do this by yourself. I'm coming with you."

"What about Arendelle? And Anna?"

She swallowed. "They have the Council. And when we've defeated your enemy, they'll have me again. I'm not going to just leave you to do this alone."

Jack cracked a grin for the first time since they'd gotten there. "As you wish, milady."


	11. Chapter 11 - On the Devil's Doorstep

**I decided having Skreeklavic living in a cave was dumb. Why not a mansion? Then there's a hint of backstory as well. Caves are so...backward.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - On the Devil's Doorstep**

Jack turned to the perfect circular hole in the ceiling, through which the moonlight shone weakly, and let it shine on his upturned face.

Elsa bit back a gasp. He looked like an angel, all wreathed in cold light, white hair and pale skin strongly contrasted against his stunning blue eyes. She watched as he looked up at the moon, and then his voice reached her ears, soft and pleading.

"I'm sorry, Sir," he said, almost inaudibly. "I don't know what to do. How could You let this happen? Aren't You supposed to be a Guardian, too? You chose us, all of us, and now You've failed us." He choked, and squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, and then, "Where can I find Ombric?"

There was silence.

Elsa reached out and pulled on his sleeve, taking him out of the light.

"Jack! What are you doing?"

He sighed. "The Man in the Moon. I thought, at least, He would give me a sign, but I don't know what to d—"

Both of them took a step back as a shadow began to grow in the middle of the moonlight on the floor.

Jack blinked. "—I thought he wouldn't." Then, his eyes went very round. "No. You can't be serious."

The shadow figure was full-size now, the shape of a man with a crooked back, a long cloak, and the longest incisor teeth Elsa had ever seen.

"What is it?" she asked, staring at it.

Then, the light faded completely, and the shadow was gone.

" _Anyone_ but Skreeklavic," Jack muttered.

"Who's Skreeklavic?" the queen asked, getting a little annoyed by his cryptic answers.

"Skreeklavic Shadowbent," Jack's face was grim. "He's a vampire."

"A _vampire_?" she gasped.

"Yes. And he'll know where Santoff Claussen, Ombric's village, is."

"Hold on; _Ombric_? Who's Ombric?"

Jack blew out his breath all at once. "I'm really bad at that, aren't I? Explaining things? Ombric Shalazar is the last wizard, and he lives in a village somewhere. He would know what we should do. He might even know where the Guardians are!"

"So, the Man in the Moon just told you to go ask a vampire where to find a wizard?" she blinked up at him.

"Sweet Manny, it sounds strange when you say it like that, Elsa," he ran his long fingers through his hair, mussing it up. "But yes, exactly."

She felt odd, taking everything he said as truth, especially when it sounded so unbelievable, but then again, if it weren't true, would she be standing in the North Pole, talking to Jack Frost?

He sighed again. "Listen, Skreeklavic and I...well, let's just say we aren't on the best terms. I've played some pretty nasty tricks on him over the years—nothing recently, of course—and I don't think he'll fancy seeing me. Are you sure you still want to come?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. Never alone, right?' she reached out and took one of his big hands in hers. He sucked in his breath sharply, startled, staring at her.

She felt silly. "Too far," she mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"No," he said quickly, tightening his grip on her hand as she tried to pull it away. "You just—you just took me by surprise."

They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, each wondering what the other was thinking, before they realized the sun was coming up.

"Never alone," he repeated, almost in wonder. Then, he let her hand go reluctantly and straightened up.

Elsa felt hot and flushed. She never did anything bold like that, and yet this young man seemed to draw it out of her.

He cleared his throat, flashing her a soft smile. "We should go, Snowflake."

"Y-yes," she focused on trying to calm down. "Are we flying?"

He grinned. "I have an idea about that." He hopped over to the desk and turned back to her, clutching a round glass ball. "North's snowglobes. They can take you anywhere."

"But...couldn't it take us to the wizard then?" she ventured.

"I wish! You have to know where you're going. Once, it worked like that, but we don't know why."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he turned the globe over, eyeing it, "a little girl used one to get to Bunny's Warren in Australia, but we have no idea how." He sighed. Then, he looked down at her, holding it out in front of him. "Are you ready, Snowflake?"

She nodded, taking his proffered hand.

He brought the snowglobe close to his face and said, "Carpathian Mountains, Shadowbent's outpost."

The glass glowed blue briefly, and an image of a mountain range covered in snow appeared inside. He tossed it at the bookshelf.

Just before it made contact, the glass burst up into a whirling ring of colours, and Jack pulled her through.

The portal led them to a snowy mountainside covered in pine trees. Jack picked it up out of the snow and stuck it in his hoodie pocket. "Handy things, these," he said. "It's over here, Elsa. C'mon."

He led her between the trees through the snow, until they came to a huge clearing, in which stood an ancient run-down mansion.

"Is this it? Is this where he lives?" she whispered.

"Yes. We should probably go quickly. They've probably already picked up our scent."

"Who?" Elsa scrambled after him through an open iron gate, and down an icy path.

"The wolves. He's the captain of the Werewolvian Hordes. And they don't like me."

She trotted in his footsteps, heart thudding in her ears. _Werewolves, too?_

As if in answer to her thought, a howl shattered the peaceful silence. A human-like howl.

As Jack mounted the front steps, there came an answering cry, from closer by, followed by sharp yipping and more spine-chilling howls.

Jack reached for the door knocker and let it drop against the heavy door. She turned to him.

"What exactly did you do to these 'wolves'?" She tried to steady her voice, but it still trembled.

There was another chorus of human-emitted cries, much, much closer this time.

"Better not to know, Elsa," he tried the knocker again.

She gazed out into the pale light and saw dark shapes moving between the snow-clad trees and shrubbery, closing in.

"J-Jack," she said warningly.

He grit his teeth and raised a fist to pound on the door.

Before the blow fell, the door opened a little, not enough for them to see anyone on the other side, and a voice spoke.

"Jack Frost," it said, deep and pleasant, "How good to see you! It's been a long time."

"Let's not waste time on pleasantries, Captain," the Winter Spirit said. "You could scarcely mean them in any case. Call off your _men_."

 _Men_? Elsa reached out to steady herself on the wall, looking out at the path, where she had expected to see wolves.

Instead, emerging from hiding and moving closer, she saw a collection of the most wild, rundown men she had ever seen.

Their hair and beards were a tangled mess, their clothes were made of fur, rough and ragged, and deep, thick white scars ran across their faces.

But their eyes were bright and clear, and held nothing but hatred.

"Why should I call them off, Frost, after what you've done?" the voice behind the door hissed. "Why should they not be allowed to take revenge for their lost brothers?"

"Captain Shadowbent, you know as well as I that the avalanche was not my doing. Mother Nature has no love for you or your wolves. Call off your men, sir." He sounded calm, but Elsa could see the panic in his eyes.

The bedraggled men gathered at the foot of the mansion steps, waiting for a word from their master.

There was a moment of silence, which seemed to stretch on and on, and then the voice barked, "Spare them! I wish to learn of their business."

The men began to disperse, but they stayed close.

Jack's shoulders sagged in relief.

And the door swung open.

There, standing hunched-over and leaning on a cane, stood a thin, pale man with long, stringy grey hair, glittering black eyes, and fangs.

Skreeklavic Shadowbent.


	12. Chapter 12 - Listen With Your Heart

**Chapter 12 - Listen With Your Heart**

The inside of the mansion was dusty and gloomy, a few candles lit in the drawing room where the vampire led them, illuminating old, tattered furniture, and a dust-coated pianoforte.

"Sit," Skreeklavis commanded, moving over to a great black chair with carved armrests, and lowering his bent form onto the furs that draped it.

Jack and Elsa sat down on an old, threadbare fainting couch that faced the old man.

"Captain Shadowbent," Jack began, "We've come to ask for your help."

Skreeklavic fixed his unnerving eyes on the young man. "Can this be?" he mused, almost to himself. "Jackson Frost, asking me for help?"

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but Skreeklavic raised his hand. "No," he said, "Do not interrupt. I wish to ask you why you believe I would be inclined to help you in any way."

"I don't know why," the teenager confessed. "There is no reason. But you must find a reason. You owe your allegiance to the Man in the Moon. Without him, your werewolves would have no power. As for me, I have no excuse. I acted rashly, and I ask your forgiveness."

"A pretty speech," the old man mocked, "yet I feel no goodwill towards you. And who is this lovely young companion of yours, who sits in silence? Jack Frost has always been alone."

Elsa was trembling. "C-Captain Sh-Shadowbent, my name is Elsa."

"And how did you come to be the companion of Jack Frost?"

"It's a long story, sir. I went to the North Pole with him to see the Guardians."

The vampire frowned. "The Guardians, you say? I had not thought Jack Frost would be welcome among them."

"Sir," Jack broke in, "I _am_ a Guardian. I became one in March."

Skreeklavic broke into harsh laughter. "You, a Guardian?"

"He is," Elsa said. "And they need you. The Guardians need you!"

"I found a note this morning, at the Pole," Jack continued, "which had been ransacked. The note was from St. North, who wrote to warn me that the Guardians had been taken by Pitch Black, and I should find Ombric Shalazar to help. But I do not know where to find him."

The vampire leaned back. "You speak names I have not heard for many a long year. You wish to seek out Ombric Shalazar, and I know of his whereabouts. But how can you be sure he will give you aid?"

"I can hope," Jack said.

"Sir," Elsa offered, feeling insecure, "Pitch Black is taking frightened children and turning them into Fearlings. He has an army, and soon no one will be safe any longer."

"Safe?" the old man shook his head. "None of us are ever safe. Why should I help the Guardians, when they have never helped me?"

"Sir?"

"Once, I was young, like you. Before my curse. I had a family, can you imagine it? My sister Alice was always thin, and frail, and she could never run and play outdoors with me, but she believed in the Guardians. With all her heart. One day, the sky darkened, and the sun was gone, and the Fearlings came. I tried to help her, but it was too late. My whole family, gone, just like that. Where were your precious Guardians that day, eh, Frost?"

Jack felt speechless. What could he say to such a terrible story?

Skreeklavic creaked to his feet. "I thought as much. I will not help you. I will provide you with refreshments, and then you must depart."

With that, he left.

Elsa wilted. "Now what? That was a perfectly _horrid_ thing that happened to him, but now he's dooming thousands more to the same fate."

Jack rubbed his eyes. "I think he wants the world to suffer the way he did. He's obviously bitter about his past."

She stood up and walked around behind the pianoforte, running a finger through the dust. "But why you? I still don't understand why he hates you so much."

The boy on the couch sighed. "Listen, Snowflake. A few decades ago, I came here to bother him, and I made a big snowstorm over the mountain, all in fun. But there was an avalanche, and a lot of the werewolves died."

She sat down on the pianoforte bench, wiping the dust off the ivories. "But it wasn't your fault, right? You said something about...Mother Nature?"

"Yes, her. She has an old grudge against Captain Shadowbent, and I saw her there on the mountainside. She made the avalanche that killed those men."

"And Shadowbent knows this?"

"Yes," Jack leaned back. "He'd much rather blame me. I've been bothering him ever since I discovered this place."

He looked utterly dejected, staring down at his hands, alone in the gloomy candlelight.

Elsa got up and went over to the window, and in one swift motion, swept the heavy drapes aside, allowing the sun the pierce the dusty old drawing room.

"There," she smiled when she saw him blinking in the sudden light. "This old house is so full of hate and bitterness, it's a wonder it hasn't fallen down yet. And it's making you feel awful, too."

Jack stared at her. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right, Jack." She went back to the pianoforte and sat down, running her hands over the keys experimentally. "I wonder when this was last played?"

"You should play it," he said quietly. "I'd like to hear you."

"What about... _him_?"

He smirked. "Pretend he's not here."

She closed her eyes and placed her hands on the keys, and let the music flow out through the instrument, filling the room with soft Chopin.

She felt her heart lift, and didn't notice when Skreeklavic re-entered the room, carrying a tray with a teapot and cups.

He stopped short when he saw Elsa at the pianoforte, eyes wide.

Jack caught his breath, waiting for him to be angry.

But he remained where he was, eyes fixed on Elsa, until she'd played the last note. Then, he let out a long sigh.

The queen got to her feet quickly, staring at the vampire.

"That—" his voice cracked, and he tried again, "That was beautiful. It made me think of Alice, who used to play that piece, sitting just so. For a moment, you looked like her, there in the sunlight."

Elsa glanced at Jack in surprise.

Skreeklavic set down the tray, clattering it to hide his sniffle. "I must apologize," he said thickly. "I will tell you the place you can find Ombric."

He went over to the cabinet and opened the drawer, rummaging around until he pulled out an old yellowed map, which he brought to the table and unrolled.

"Come here."

They came over to the table and looked down at the map, which was very old, and pictured the whole of the known world, done in green ink.

"Here," Skreeklavic placed his finger on a tiny star in Siberia. "Santoff Claussen, the village of Ombric Shalazar. How do you plan to travel?"

Jack pulled out the snowglobe. "This. It opens a magic portal."

The old man picked up the map and re-rolled it. "Then I wish you what luck there is. Perhaps I was wrong, for here is a Guardian who wishes to help. And you," he took Elsa's hand and kissed it. "You have reminded me of another life, a life I once cherished, and now only remember. I ask that when you return home, you play a piece for me, and I will be satisfied. Now, go."


	13. Chapter 13 - Wisdom, Advice, Magic

**Chapter 13 - Wisdom, Advice, and a Little Magic**

When the swirling stopped, they found themselves standing in deep snow in front of a forest. A forest that was alive and beckoned to them.

"I can't believe that worked!" Jack grabbed Elsa's other hand and started jumping around, whirling her through the snow.

"Me either!" she gasped, and launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Don't you _dare_ scare me like that again!"

Jack nearly fell over, not expecting the hug, and staggered back several steps. He closed his eyes and held her close, burying his face in her hair. That had been too close. If Elsa hadn't been determined to cheer him up, they would've had no idea where to go or what to do next.

A soft breeze ruffled his hair around his ears, a warm breeze, and they drew apart, turning to look into the forest.

"In there?" she asked.

"I think so. All the stories have a forest."

Directly in front of them was a ring of massive trees, bigger than any Jack had ever seen. The roots of the trees grew tangled together into a gnarled barrier, barring the way in.

"North told me about this place once," Jack said. "This is where he started out as a Guardian. He said he rode his horse at the roots, and they let him in, and he found the village in the middle of the forest."

He stepped forward experimentally, close to the huge root wall.

There was a great grinding and cracking, and the gnarled rope-like roots untangled, withdrawing enough to leave a narrow gap into the sweet-smelling sanctuary beyond.

"C'mon, Snowflake. There's no time to waste." He held out a hand to her, and she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his, allowing him to guide her through into the forest.

Once inside, the roots closed together again behind them. The air in here was warm, and a soft breeze stirred the ferns and bracken. Around the trees grew thick vines that tangled everywhere, and spear-sharp thorns as long as Jack was tall. As Jack and Elsa walked forward, the trees and vines parted for them, gently swaying, limbs waving as though in greeting.

The sound of birdsong broke the peaceful silence, and animals rustling in the undergrowth, and the breeze was sweetly scented like a thousand kinds of wildflowers.

"It's almost like they're...dancing," Elsa said, gazing around at the trees.

"It's magic," he replied. "This place is full of it. Can't you feel it?"

A cloud of multi-coloured butterflies burst from the undergrowth all around them, fluttering up to the green canopy above.

"Ombric Shalazar; who is he, really?" Elsa asked, as he leapt over a fallen log and turned back to offer her assistance. She put her hands on his shoulders and let him lift her over it.

"A wizard," he said. "The last one of the Lost Island of Atlantis."

"Atlantis? So it was real?"

"As real as you or I. All the great wizards came from there, and Ombric is the last one alive. Don't ask me how old he is, because I couldn't tell you."

Both of them stopped short as two children burst out of the trees, being chased by a third. They were all giggling.

Another little boy darted out, all freckles and gap-toothed grin. He paused when he saw them, and eyed them with shy interest.

Then he was gone.

"Children?" Elsa wondered, as they continued on their way. "What are they doing here?"

"Ombric runs a village called Santoff Claussen, a haven for imagination. North says he teaches the kids that anything can be real, as long as you believe in it."

The village itself came into view, a collection of odd-looking houses and a massive tree, bigger yet than the ones surrounding.

"The Big Root, "Jack guessed, "Biggest tree in the world. That's where he lives."

"He lives in a _tree_?"

"He's not the only one," Jack pointed to their right, where he could see a pretty treehouse hanging above them at the edge of the forest.

They saw a young woman sitting up there, reading a huge book, her legs dangling over the edge.

As they walked into the village, a door in the Big Root opened, and the oddest little man appeared.

He was stooped with age, wearing a dark purple robe that was covered in golden stars and moons, a tall pointed hat of the same, and a white beard that swept the dust at his feet.

"Jack Frost!" he said in a thin voice, pleased, though the eyes twinkling behind his wire-rimmed glasses held sadness and defeat as well. "And Queen Elsa. Be welcome! Come out, everyone! There is no threat here."

All around, doors opened in the houses, and children and adults emerged, to resume their daily activities, though they watched the group with interest.

"Join me inside," the old man offered. "I have been waiting for you."

They followed him inside the tree, which was hollow inside, and shaped into many rooms. He led them up a set of steps into his library, where cushions lay on the floor between packed bookshelves.

"Have a seat," the wizard said, and eased himself onto a cushion with the help of his staff. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Ombric Shalazar, founder of Santoff Claussen."

"Good to meet you, sir," Jack said. "We've come to ask you for help."

"Naturally," he replied kindly. "I dreamed of your arrival, and informed my security to leave you alone when you arrived."

"Security?" Elsa asked.

"Jack could tell you, young lady, if he has heard St. North's stories. In my forest lives a large black bear, a pet to the children, but a fearsome adversary to anyone who means us harm. And the other is the Spirit of the Forest, a woman who can produce enchanted gold, which turns the greedy to stone."

Jack nodded. "North said his men were taken in by the gold and became stone elves, and later she changed them back, but they stayed elves."

Ombric smiled. "Now, my help, you say? What can I help you with?"

Jack gathered himself with difficulty. "Pitch Black has returned, and he attacked the Guardians. North left a note telling me to find you."

Ombric became somber. "The Nightmare King is my oldest enemy, defeated thrice by myself and North, and always returning. You've seen him, fought him, Mr. Frost. I have spoken to the Lunar Lamas—a group of holy men older than this earth—in their Lunar Lamandry, and they told me the Tsar has become strangely silent. In that ancient temple of the moon, I could feel his presence, though it was faint, and fading."

The Spirit of Winter sighed. "Fading. Like the night Pitch found me. I wonder what's going on? And now, Pitch has—"

"Fearlings," the wizard closed his eyes, "And a Captain has come to him. A spirit, neither living nor dead, intent only on evil. He has come to Pitch to command the most powerful Fearlings: the Dream Pirates. They are not human, and never were. Some even call them the Nightmare Men."

"I don't understand," Elsa's voice trembled. "How do you know all of that?"

Ombric opened his eyes and met her gaze steadily. "Over the years, I have learned to astral travel—projecting my spirit from my body—and have used it to keep the village safe. I have listened to Pitch Black and the new Captain. He seeks more than fear, this one. He is determined to gather all the fearless and brave of heart and wipe them from the earth."

"You speak as if you know this Captain," Jack ventured.

"I do—" Ombric faltered, took a deep, shaky breath, and continued, "—did. He was a young immortal boy, a creature of light, the last of his kind. He watched over the Man in the Moon when the Tsar was just a baby, and lived in the village for a time. His name was Nightlight."


	14. Chapter 14 - A Light in the Night

**Nightlight's story, as told by Ombric. Still love it. If you haven't read William Joyce's books before, do it. They're fansinating for any ROTG fans, and they have beautiful illustrations. The Jack Frost one isn't coming out for a while, and it'll probably screw my story, but I don't care. I will still be number 1 on the library waiting list.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - A Light in the Night**

"I will tell you the story of the boy Nightlight," Ombric began.

"The Golden Age was a wonderful time to be alive. Great royal families called Constellations rode their spaceships through the heavens, visiting one another, and universe was at peace. One of these families was the Tsar family, a couple who had one lovely baby boy. They found the best guardian for him: a boy made completely of glowing light whose name was Nightlight. Each night, as the Tsars' Moon Clipper sailed through the galaxies, Nightlight would tuck the little boy in and sing him this song:

'Nightlight, bright light

Sweet dreams I bestow

Sleep tight, all night

Forever I will glow.'

"But then, the great evil of Pitch Black, once the general Kozmotis Pitchiner, spread through the galaxies, extinguishing stars and wiping out entire Constellations. He had heard of a little boy who had never had a nightmare, and was determined to find him and turn him into his own prince of darkness.

"The Tsars fled, but Pitch found the Clipper, disguised as a moon next to the Earth. In the middle of the great star battle, Tsar and Tsarina made Nightlight swear this oath:

'Watch over our child. Guide him safely from the ways of harm.

Keep happy his heart, brave his soul, and rosy his cheeks.

Guard with your life his hopes and dreams,

For he is all that we have, all that we are,

And all that we will ever be.'

"Nightlight took the young prince into the heart of the ship. He saw a tear on the baby's cheek, and caught it in his spectral hand. Immediately, he felt a searing pain, and he watched as the tear grew into a long diamond dagger.

"Nightlight knew what to do now. He smiled down at the golden-haired little boy. "Remember me in dreams," he said, and was gone.

"Out of the ship he flew, straight at the King of Nightmares, and plunged the dagger deep into the cold heart.

"There was a deafening explosion, and only the little Man in the Moon was left on the Moon Clipper, forever stuck as a moon. Pitch's galleon plunged to the Earth, down, down, into a deep cave, where, amid the ruins, the King stayed alive, the dagger through his dark heart pinning him to the stone wall. There he slept for ages, and Nightlight, being made of light, found himself trapped inside the dagger, his new prison.

"One day, a curious moonbeam ventured inside the cave, where it beheld Pitch. Moving closer, it was sucked inside the diamond dagger, allowing Nightlight to escape.

"Unfortunately, Pitch was free as well.

"North came to this village, and together with my own adopted daughter Katherine, and Nightlight, we defeated him. Twice more we stood against him, eventually recruiting more powerful beings, such as the last remaining Pooka, the Indian princess known as Toothiana, and a sleepy little star pilot from the Golden Age.

"Jump forward in time to only a short while ago, when my own dreams began to grow dark once again. I feared the worst, and began to ready myself to travel to the Pole, to seek help and advice from the Guardians.

"That very same night, the boy Nightlight reappeared. But he had grown up, and he told me he was no longer the glowing boy of light of the past. 'I am Nightshade,' he announced, 'Captain of the Dream Pirates.'

"You see, Pitch had happened upon him, alone, and had taken all the light out of him, filling him with the most malicious thoughts that grown-ups in this world project.

"Such was Nightlight," here, Ombric blinked and sighed deeply, a look of great pain in his eyes. "I know naught of the Guardians. Their minds are shielded from me. Once, long ago, we found we could link our minds as one, but we have not tried for many hundreds of years."


	15. Chapter 15 - You Hold the Key

**Yay! Katherine gets more story time! I loved her in the books.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - You Hold the Key**

When he had finished his tale, Ombric wiped his eyes and smiled again.

"Not all hope is lost, however," he beamed. "For our newest Guardian remains true, and seeks to fight the growing darkness. And by his side walks another with magical powers, her new hope to protect the children of the world."

Jack and Elsa looked at each other uncertainly, each one still thinking of the sad story they'd just heard.

"It's all well and good when you say it like that, sir," Jack protested, "but we have no idea where to go or what to do!"

Ombric sighed. "I will do my best to guide you. But first, come. My daughter wishes to meet you." He got to his feet and led them back out into the sunlight.

A pair of little girls ran past, real bird feathers on frames attached to their arms.

"The world's centre for creativity and imagination, safe from the frights of the rest of humanity. Whatever you can dream up could become reality, if only you believe." Ombric gestured to a quiet corner, where a boy was talking to a tiny beetle, using odd sounds.

"Insect languages. The simplest languages in nature. The children here learn them young."

One of the young women from a group of children stood up and came over to them, her long skirts swishing, and Jack recognized her as the girl from the treehouse.

"Allow me to introduce my adopted daughter, Katherine. Katherine, Jack Frost and Queen Elsa."

The young woman smiled. She had lovely grey eyes and brown hair done up under her blue straw hat, an air of wisdom and strength around her. "Pleased to meet you," she said pleasantly.

Elsa held up her hands. "Wait. Wait. Sorry if this sounds rude, but shouldn't you be dead? Ombric told us you lived a long time ago."

Katherine laughed. "True. But I am a Guardian, the Guardian of Storytelling. I am not so important now. You probably know me as Mother Goose."

"Really?" Elsa chuckled. "So you wrote all those stories and nursery rhymes? How did you get that name?"

"I once had a Giant Snow Goose for a pet," she said. "And I have recorded all the stories of the adventures of the Guardians as well."

Ombric patted her shoulder. "Perhaps you should pick up your pen for old times' sake, for this appears to be another outstanding adventure. I wish I could be a part of it."

She looked at him fondly. "You are not a part of this story, Ombric. The characters have shifted again, and to the most unlikely of heroes." Her grey eyes met Jack's blue ones. "Jackson Overland Frost, you are the hero, though it is not an easy task, nor would you have chosen it yourself. You take up the mantle to protect the little ones you so love, for that is your drive as a Guardian, fun aside."

Then she turned to Elsa. "You're the believer, Queen Elsa Iduna Anderson. You accept what you see, instead of denying reality. The power to believe is your greatest weapon against your fear." Elsa managed a wobbly smile.

"This story," Katherine held out a hands to each of them, and they put theirs in hers, "This story has only just begun. I fear for its ending. My heart tells me of a great peril you will face. My father wishes to join you," she nodded to Ombric, "but he is needed here, to keep the village safe from Pitch's Fearlings. Each night for the past three days, the Nightmare King's creatures have attempted to slip past our defenses, but he has been thwarted."

"Why would he attack you? " Jack asked.

"Because the children here do not fear the darkness, as other children do, and it makes him angry. It's the very same reason he wanted to find the Man in the Moon, all those years ago. Everyone has a fear, and his is that one day, no children will be afraid, and he will fade and be no more."

Ombric sighed. "Katherine has agreed to travel with you, for she wishes to meet an old friend of hers and speak to him once more, face-to-face."

"Who?" Elsa asked softly, though in her heart, she knew the answer.

"Nightlight," Katherine replied. "Dear Nightlight. I wish to understand how he became dark, and perhaps I can remind him of what love and light look like again."

She blinked, and Jack saw tears in her eyes. She smiled at them both. "Together, we will end the fear. We can be strong."

"What should we do now?" Jack spoke up. "We do not know where Pitch has taken the Guardians."

Ombric stepped forward. "Tell me, Jack: what is it you carry in your pocket?"

The teenager frowned in confusion, but he took out North's snowglobe.

The wizard took the ball from him and held it up. "There is much magic in these globes. Just as an artist leaves a part of their soul inside each piece of true art they create, so North has done with this. Take this Jack, and whisper his name to it; help it remember its maker, and lead you to him."

"Y-you mean I could've gone to them straight off?" Jack stammered.

"Without this knowledge? No. But now you know the precious item you hold. It is the key to your success."

"Thank you, sir. I don't know how to repay you."

"Repay me?" The old man smiled kindly. "No need for that, son. I wish there was more I could do to help you, but I cannot leave the village. My time for glory is over, and yours has begun. It's been a pleasure to meet the newest Guardian. And," he turned to Elsa and nodded gravely, "an honour to become acquainted with the youngest Queen of Arendelle."

She returned his smile. "The same, sir."

"My daughter," he turned at last to Katherine, who threw her arms around him.

"I'll miss you, Ombric," she said into his robes.

He sighed. "I shall miss you as well, my dear. Please, do be careful. Do not underestimate Pitch, as we have before."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

"Then go, with my blessing, and show the Nightmare King that we will still fight for the good in the world, and we will protect the children."

He nodded to Jack, who held the snowglobe in his hands, picturing North, with his round figure, boisterous laugh, and childlike wonder. He remembered their times together, the things he'd learned from the Russian, and all the things he'd made at the Pole.

The snowglobe began to hum.

Katherine reached out, her eyes closed, and touched the glass.

Immediately, Jack saw her memories of North, a much younger, dark-haired man, handsome, and bursting with curiosity. He saw Katherine and the young North fighting side-by-side, learning together, and being the best of friends, despite their age difference.

The globe shattered, but the glass flew back, spiraling into a portal opening, huge and glittering.

"Good luck, friends," Ombric said, as the village began to gather to watch them depart.

The three of them looked at one another, and joined hands, drawing courage from each other.

Together, they plunged through into the unknown.


	16. Chapter 16 - If I Never Knew You

**Hey, my readers! Thank you for your patience! I'd like to inform you that the REWRITE IS DONE! I restructured the story completely, so you might want to run back and check out the beginning of the story again! It's way better than before, or at least people keep telling me that! Have fun!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - If I Never Knew You**

It was dark.

Not the kind of dark that one's eyes slowly adjust to, but a dark so thick and black, Jack felt he could grasp it in his hands.

"Elsa?" he whispered. "Katherine?"

He leapt in fright when Elsa touched his shoulder. "We're right here," she replied softly, "Wherever 'here' is."

Wherever-it-was was suddenly filled with the ear-splitting sound of something thumping on metal.

"What was that?" Katherine murmured.

"Let's find out," Jack began to move towards the sound, his eyes straining to see through the heavy gloomy.

A few more steps, and pain blossomed through his bare foot as it connected with something solid. He gasped, wincing.

"I found something," he muttered, gritting his teeth.

The noise began again, this time directly in front of them. Heart pounding, Jack reached out, and his fingered brushed cold metal.

He opened his mouth to report his findings, but Katherine's voice drifted from somewhere to his left.

"I know this place."

"You do? Where are we, then?" Elsa said.

"The Core of the Earth," she replied. "The deepest part of Pitch's Lair."

Jack blew out his breath harshly. "So this is where he brought them, then. I wonder where they are?"

There was a loud, metallic bang. "In here," Katherine said. "It's a closed-in cage, sort of like a big oil drum."

Elsa gasped. "Oh, here! There's a latch, and it opens!"

There was a great grinding and scraping, and something very heavy hit Jack square-on, knocking him over backwards, where he groaned and clutched his nose.

"Sorry! Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry!" In her attempt to help him up, she tripped over his long legs and fell ungracefully into his lap.

"Who's there?" said another voice, one Jack knew very well. He and Elsa untangled themselves, and for the first time, Jack was glad for the darkness that hid his red face.

"North?" he said, taking a step forward.

"Jack? Is that you?" there were some shuffling sounds, and then Jack found himself enveloped in a bone-crushing hug against a soft beard. "How did you find us? Did you get my note?"

"Long story, and yes, I did," Jack struggled to breathe. The Russian set him back on his feet, and then he heard Katherine's voice.

"Nicholas?"

North grunted. "Katherine? Are you here, too?"

Katherine laughed, and threw herself at her old friend, embracing him.

And then, Jack heard Elsa squeak, and North exclaim.

"What's this? Another girl?" The queen made an indignant sound.

Jack fumbled his way between them. "Yes, sir. Queen Elsa of Arendelle. She's been helping me find you."

"A queen, you say? Hmmm," the old man rumbled. "How did you find us? Ombric?"

"Yes, sir," Jack confirmed. "And one of your snowglobes." Then it struck him. "Where are the others?"

There was a deep sigh. "They're right here, my boy, in my hand. They're wooden dolls."

Katherine gasped. "The old spells?"

"Yes," North continued, "It appears our enemy has not forgotten the spells of enslavement he once stole from Ombric's library. You remember, Katherine, how he once turned us all into wooden dolls? I know the spell, and managed to crack it from the inside, but I do not know how to return our friends to their real forms."

"There is a way," Katherine said. "The mind-meld. We could combine our knowledge. I'm sure it could work."

"Perhaps," the older Guardian said, "but we have not done it in centuries."

"Is there any way we can get out of here first?" Jack asked. "I don't feel safe.

"I feel as though I'm being watched," Elsa ventured, timidly.

Then someone else spoke.

"Being watched, you are." The voice was strange and unearthly, and it made Jack's hair stand on end.

Both North and Katherine gasped.

"Show yourself," North commanded, but his voice wasn't quite steady.

Is he... _scared_? Or is it something else?

There was a weird bark of laughter, and then a weak bluish light seared to life.

Jack saw they were in a huge black cave full of stalagmites that looked similar to the part of the Lair he'd visited before. There were several huge cages, mostly with twisted spiked bars, but the one closest to them looked like a huge oil drum, and the heavy metal door was standing open.

Directly before them a cloud of Fearlings hovered, whispering and hissing, and at their head, the speaker stood, holding the blue light at the tip of a very tall staff.

He was also tall, and very skinny, with black spiked armour and a flowing cape, and his face was grey, like Pitch's. His eyes were the most frightening, for they were completely white, devoid of pupils.

He smiled again, and as he did so, the light at the end of the staff flickered wearily.

North's shoulders sagged. "I would not believe it if I did not see it. What's he done to you, Nightlight?"

Katherine whimpered.

The man with the light frowned. "I be knowing you not, big man. Or this Nightlight. Be not moving, or this army is ending you all."

Elsa was trembling, her face bloodless. Jack surreptitiously slipped his hand around hers, trying to offer comfort, but he couldn't see a way out of this.

 _Is there where it all ends?_

He was ready to fight, if it came to that.

"Nightlight," Katherine whispered, pale, "you don't remember us?"

"I am remembering not the life before I is being Captain Nightshade. Come with me, to be seeing the King."

North hmphed. "Likely," he muttered. "Katherine." He gave her the wooden dolls.

The young woman gathered herself. "Jack, Elsa, whatever happens, follow me."

The Captain moved forward. "Come now."

"Now!" North cried, clapping his hands together. There was a blinding light, and the Fearlings shrank back, and Nightshade was knocked over backwards.

Katherine grabbed Jack's sleeve, pulling him and Elsa toward a tunnel off to the side.

Inside the tunnel, it was dark, but Katherine held up her hand, and he saw she was holding the staff with the light from Captain Nightshade. The light flashed a little brighter.

"I'm glad to see you, too," she said.

More flashes. "Yes, I'm terribly sad as well. But don't lose hope!" she glanced back at them. "Hurry," she panted, nearly tripping on her long skirts.

They rounded the corner, and Jack and Elsa stopped short in surprise.

The tunnel widened abruptly, and there, sitting on a set of tracks, was the oddest-looking train Jack had ever seen. It was quite small, as trains go, and short, and the locomotive was egg-shaped.

"Come on!" Katherine squeaked. "Get in! They'll be here any second!"

They all clambered up into the train, which started by itself.

"Where did it come from?" Jack asked, trying to slow his racing heart.

"It's Aster's," she replied, craning her neck to look back down the tunnel through the window.

"Aster?"

"The giant rabbit," she said, and then, "Here he comes!"

The train began to move, and then Jack saw North slide around the corner, followed by the Fearlings. He dashed onto the moving train, sliding the door shut as they picked up speed.

They all watched tensely as the Fearlings tried to follow, but were unable to stop the train.

Finally, North let out a deep, gusty sigh. "That was close," he said gruffly.

Katherine wiped her eyes on her apron. "His memories are gone, North."

"I'm sorry, mishka," Santa said, taking her in his arms. "I know how close you two once were."

"Where does the tunnel go?" Jack asked.

"The surface somewhere," North said. "Only Bunny can control it. My guess is that it'll choose one of our homes, and take us there."

Jack helped Elsa sit down on one of the padded seats. She managed a pensive smile. "Never alone, Jack."

He exchanged a look with North and Katherine, who were talking to the light on the staff, and they both smiled as well.

"I wish you were safe at home, Elsa," he whispered, draping himself into the seat next to her.

"I don't," she replied. She reached up and kissed his cheek. "We make each other stronger."

"She's right," North said. "We're going to have to stand together, or not at all."

Jack leaned back and let her rest her soft blonde head on his shoulder. His cheek burned where her lips had brushed him, feather-light. _Stronger together. I could use more of that._


	17. Chapter 17 - A World Worth Fighting For

**The mind-meld is in Joyce's books, as well as the spells. North also makes a djinni (a robot), which Pitch actually possesses and uses to learn the spells. I just HAD to add the egg-o-motive in. Actually, in the books, Bunny is a dignified old Pooka, who has a monocle and lives on Easter Island, and he never eats chocolate, because he turns into this giant ninja/warrior/mutant thing when he does. Since Joyce wrote the script for the movie, I assume he means that Bunny eats chocolate all the time. And he lives in Australia.**

 **I also did my best with Nightlight's speech. He talks even weirder in the books. I don't actually know why. Apparently, he only speaks when he feels great need and is usually silent, but I took liberties because he's not himself at the moment, at all.**

 **Anyways, I'm done writing this story, and I'll update the last few chapters over the next two/three weeks.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - A World Worth Fighting For**

Katherine came over to Jack, giving him the wooden staff with the glowing spike at the top. "Do you know what this is, Jack?"

He shook his head. "It was from Nightlight, wasn't it?"

"Yes. The tip is the diamond shard made from Manny's tear, from when he was a baby, the one used to stab Pitch's heart. Inside it, a moonbeam lives, unable to escape. He is what gave us light in the darkness."

Jack held the staff in one hand, his own in the other, feeling strangely insignificant in the presence of such power.

Katherine reached into her apron pocket and took out the little wooden dolls, lining them up on the train floor. She and North knelt on either side of them, and joined hands.

Both closed their eyes.

A few moments passed in silence, as the two linked their thoughts, reaching for the minds of their friends.

The tiny dolls began to glow a little, rattling on the train floor. And then, pop! The dolls were no longer there, replaced by the other three Guardians.

Elsa shrieked a little in surprise.

"It worked!" Katherine cried, reaching out and embracing Toothiana, who looked rather sick, her feathers ruffled.

The Easter Bunny got to his feet. "Good idea, mate," he drawled to North, 'takin' the old train. Bloody clever." He took a look out of the front window. "Where are we going to pop out, I wondah?"

"Thought you might know," Katherine observed.

"Not now we're so close, Katherine," the giant rabbit said. "The train's not like my rabbit holes. The tracks gotta lead somewhere before we start."

The Sandman swooped over to Elsa, smiling.

"Who're you?" she said softly to him.

He waved his arms expressively, while golden symbols flashed over his head.

A child sleeping. A dream. Himself. Himself in the sky, sending out streams of gold. Another sleeping child.

"Oh! You're the Sandman!" she exclaimed.

He nodded, pleased, and then pointed to her, a big question mark glowing above his head.

"Me?"

Jack grinned. "This is Queen Elsa of Arendelle," he said.

The whole train fell silent, every eye on Elsa.

"A queen?" Tooth fluttered over and pulled Elsa to her feet. "How lovely! Where did you find her, Jack?"

He went red. "I-I-it's not-I-"

Bunny cleared his throat. "Well, this is just _ripper_. Now we're working with adults, too?"

North elbowed him, shooting him a warning look.

Jack felt speechless. This was not going the way he'd planned at all.

He was saved by Elsa herself, who drew herself up and put on her queen face. "You must be the Easter Bunny," she said sweetly. "Aren't you supposed to be...oh, I don't know, small, and more...bunnylike?"

The giant rabbit took a step closer, putting himself right in her face. He stared down at her for a moment, and she didn't flinch.

Then, Bunny cracked and grin and stepped back, letting out a bark of laughter. "Crikey, a sheila who's really got it! Tell me, Your Majesty: what made you decide to tag along with this sorry bloke?" He reached out and knuckled Jack's head, receiving a growl and a smack for his efforts.

She smiled and held out her hand. A tiny spiral of sparkling snow drifted up, and burst into a million flakes all around them.

There was a collective intake for breath.

"Blimey."

"So beautiful," Tooth murmured.

"Where'd you learn that?" North added.

Katherine was smiling a little, watching the young queen, and then her eyes switched to Jack.

Elsa chuckled nervously. "I was born like that."

"Well," North looked like he'd just opened the most exciting Christmas gift ever. "I'm sure there's a good story there, you two. I'd like to know how you two met, and why you're here. But for now, we have to focus on Pitch."

Jack felt relieved. He had not been enjoying the attention.

Bunny turned. "We're here," he said gruffly.

They all braced themselves as the tunnel slanted sharply, and burst through the surface of the earth, coming to a hissing and screeching stop outside.

"Oh!" Elsa exclaimed. "It's Arendelle!"

And it was. The egg-o-motive had brought the Guardians to Elsa's own home. They were on the edge of the fjord, close to the castle, and it was late afternoon.

"This is bad," North murmured. "He'll follow us straight here." He clambered out of the smoking locomotive.

Elsa allowed Jack to help her down out of the train. She closed her eyes and let the light shine on her face, after all the darkness down below. "Then we must face him here," she said.

They looked across the fjord below, and saw crowds swarming to the other side of the harbour, looking wonderingly at the strange train. Children were laughing and exclaiming, pointing to the Guardians, and even some of the parents were obviously becoming able to see.

Jack saw the crowd part, and Anna emerged between them, small and distant, but definitely Anna. He heard her shriek of delight.

The ground began to shake.

"Back from the opening!" North shouted, and they all moved away as a great billowing mass of Fearlings burst out of the hole, spreading out, and covering the sun, darkening the sky.

There were cries and a hum of chatter from the bystanders.

Some much bigger shapes followed the Fearlings, more substantial-looking. The Dream Pirates.

And then, Pitch Black himself emerged out of the tunnel, tall and graceful, smirking at the Guardians. And following behind him: Captain Nightshade.

"This is a pleasant surprise," the King of Nightmares mocked, walking down towards them. "All of you, in one place. And, oh, if it isn't Jack Frost! So, you lived. And the boy as well, it would seem." He swept his robes over the snow, darkened Dreamsand billowing out around him like dust on the white snow. "No matter! It is so easy for the darkness to hide the light."

"Nightlight," Katherine implored, the light staff in her hands glowing brightly, "you don't have to do this. You don't have to follow him.

Pitch laughed, and the Captain grinned beside him. "But I be wanting to," he smirked, "Today be being the end of the Guardians."

"Indeed," Pitch agreed. "For you are weak. And your precious Man in the Moon, where is he when you need him?" he laughed again. "Oh, my apologies! I forgot: your friend is dying up there. I used his life to make myself strong."

North grunted. "A lie. And if it is true, we will still win today. The darkness cannot prevail, not as long as there are those who will stand for light."

"Then we only have to remove you," Pitch snorted, "and the light will be snuffed out, securing my reign at last. Captain, attack."


	18. Chapter 18 - Night & Day

**And finally, the climax! This is where it all came to! Sorry, I'm not great at writing action scenes, but I did my best. I would describe things more, like Elsa's shield, and more about Nightshade, and what the people are doing the whole time, and all that, but it all goes so fast, I felt it couldn't have any more detail without dragging.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Night & Day**

After that Elsa had no time to think, for the Fearlings came at them from above, like great black birds.

When she saw the looming creatures, the queen held up her forearm, and a glittering shield made of ice sprung into place. The defensive move seemed to work, for the dark creatures broke on it like waves on a dam, spiraling back into the sky.

While they circled, watching her, Elsa glanced around to gauge the situation. She spotted North, wielding two curved swords, taking on the Nightmare King, who was swinging a giant scythe made from Nightmare Sand. The Fearlings were avoiding them, instead trying to get at the others.

Bunny was using his spinning boomerangs to keep the creatures away, and Toothiana's wings had become much larger, fanning the Fearlings and Nightmare Men with each beat.

The most fantastic of all was the Sandman. He hovered in the air, glowing brightly, lashing at Nightshade with two golden whips made of Dreamsand. Captain Nightshade held a crossbow, firing black arrows towards the ancient star pilot, who dodged each one.

Elsa saw that each time the whip lashed around the Captain, he would cry out in pain, and the spot where the golden sand touched him would become greyer, less black.

She looked around, trying to see where Jack was, spotting him briefly near the Easter Bunny, ducking a Dream Pirate, and shooting half-hearted blasts of ice at the Fearlings all around him, but she knew he didn't want to fight them. They were, after all, children, under all that darkness.

Katherine was nowhere to be seen.

She heard a hiss, and she glanced up and saw the Fearlings diving back down at her.

She raised her shield and braced herself, falling back several steps when they hit the ice. It was hard to tell which of the Dark creatures were Fearlings, and which were those awful Dream Pirates.

None of us wants to hurt these creatures. How long can a fight like this last? How long until we are overcome, beaten down, made to surrender?

They struck again, with far more force, and Elsa nearly fell over.

As she staggered back, she saw Jack, and she was filled with horror. He was lying on his back in the snow, cloud of Fearlings around him, his eyes rolled back in his head, teeth clamped together, struggling.

"No!" she cried, but the Fearlings were back on her, trying to break past her guard.

She saw Toothiana's wings cease to beat, and the fairy fell into the snow.

She saw North's guard fail; she watched in dismay as the scythe bit into his side, and he fell to his knees, gasping. Pitch walked up to him, triumphant.

Bunny's boomerangs were both gone, and he dropped like a bomb beneath the Fearlings.

Only the Sandman prevailed. Nightshade looked weary, aiming his weapon with difficulty, and pinpricks of light shone through his armour.

Elsa felt her heart quail as the wispy creatures slid off her shield once again, her arm aching. She had to stand her ground.

 _They want the brave and strong? I'll give them brave and strong._

She took a deep breath and nearly smiled. Power surged to her fingertips like electricity, and her fear ebbed. Why should she be scared? She was Queen Elsa, the ruler of a kingdom at age twenty-one, and possessor of great power.

 _I'm not scared. There's nothing here I cannot stand up to. Take this, Pitch._ She threw new strength into her shield arm, knocking the Fearlings away, and at that moment, every last creature turned her way, sensing her courage and lack of fear.

Out of the corner of her vision, Elsa saw Katherine dash up to Nightshade, catching him with one arm as he collapsed, pale. Her other arm hung limp by her side.

Pitch held up a hand, his focus now on Elsa, and every Dark Creature froze.

"What a surprise!" His eyes were wide. "A _girl_ , here with the Guardians? A _mortal_ , fighting an ageless war?"

"Nightlight," Katherine said quietly, "can't you remember me? Can't you remember any of us?"

The Captain blinked up at her, his head cradled in her lap. "No," he said, "except in dreams. I remember you in dreams."

Pitch laughed. "Your friend is gone, young Katherine," he said, and then turned back to Elsa, "Now, young woman, who are you?"

North groaned and tried to get up.

Elsa stood tall, still oddly unafraid, even in the face of this monster. "I am Queen Elsa," she said proudly, "and you are threatening my kingdom. Remove yourself, and take your hold off of these children, Pitch Black."

"Who are you to command me?" he hissed. He waved a hand, and all the Fearlings collected around her, ready to strike. "How are you not afraid? Your Guardians are all but defeated, your people stand, ready to be conquered, and you are outnumbered, yet still your heart refuses to be fearful?"

Elsa saw Sandy reach down and place a hand on Nighshade's shoulder, the black leeching up into his own body.

 _He's taking the darkness out of him. I need to give them time._

She heard Katherine whispering to the young man, tears running down her face.

"I have power," Elsa said bravely, keeping the Nightmare King's eyes on her. "A power even you cannot understand. It controls my actions, and is a part of everything I do."

She saw Jack roll over and get to his feet, taking in the situation. She shot him a look, and he nodded and stumbled over to where the Tooth Fairy lay, unmoving.

"A power," Pitch stepped closer. "Pray tell, Queen Elsa, what power is that?"

Katherine looked up at Sandy, who nodded, and the young woman bent down and kissed Nightshade on the lips.

"Love," Elsa said simply, "My centre is Love."

A split second later, the Nightmare King was knocked over by a blast of energy emanating from Nightshade and Katherine.

The energy wave bowled over everyone who was standing, including Elsa and Jack, and rolled across the harbour, hitting the citizens of Arendelle with much less force.

For several moments, there was dead silence.

Nightshade—Nightlight stirred feebly in Katherine's arms, glowing eerily blue, all traces of darkness gone from him. The Sandman hovered, his eyes closed, his black arm slowly turning back to gold.

Elsa heard several sharp gasps. She followed Jack's eyes to where the Fearlings were.

But there were no Fearlings. No Dream Pirates.

Instead, the cliff was crowded with children, mostly unconscious, though some were sitting up, confused.

"No."

She whirled and saw Pitch, staring angrily at Nightlight, and then at the children.

"You've lost," Jack commented, helping Tooth to her feet. One of her wings was badly battered. The Easter Bunny was supporting North, who was bleeding from the wound in his side.

"No," Pitch muttered. He looked round at them all, and then down at his hands. "You have!"

Elsa saw his hands fling out, and she instinctively threw herself between the children and the blast of black energy.

She felt a great, surging pain, and she saw the ground disappear from beneath her and she was falling, but she felt at peace, knowing she'd saved them all. It was cold, very, very cold.

And then, everything faded to nothing.


	19. Chapter 19 - The Coldest Winter

**Helloooo! Writing about winter and grief and death while in Florida is weird. But we left FAU and USF more pro-life, so that's amazing! Anyways, sorry for the cliff-hanger (literally), but also not sorry. Also, the fact that I have 33 followers just blows my mind! That means there are 33 people out there who actually liked my writing! THANK YOU!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - The Coldest Winter**

Jack Frost had tried to fight the Fearlings.

He didn't want to hurt them, because he knew that somewhere inside, the creatures were children, trapped in a living nightmare, unable to escape.

So it was a very short time before he was overcome by them, and launched back into his worst memories.

This time, however, they felt more real.

He felt like he could reach out and touch Mary, and she would laugh and tell him to stop playing tricks on him. The water of the lake froze his bones, rendering him unable to swim, and it crawled down his throat into his lungs, icy death with chilling fingers.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't real, but he felt soggy and tired, unmotivated to wade through the thick syrup of the memory back to reality.

The night sky blew away the dark water, leaving Jack standing barefoot on solid ice, wreathed in moonlight, wondering how he got there.

Who am I? He thought. He felt like he should know the answer, but it was dancing somewhere out of reach, somewhere in the dark, teasing him to come and find it, and he was too tired.

He wanted to give up.

He did give up.

And just when the darkness was about to swallow him, climbing up his legs, reality collided with memory and won, leaving Jack lying in the snow, gasping. Instead of icy water, the cold air filled his lungs, and he closed his eyes against the blinding light, grateful to be alive.

He took a deep breath and got up, picked up his staff and looked around, and his eyes found Elsa, facing Pitch, who had his back to Jack. His caught his breath when he saw how all the Fearlings hovered behind and above her like a huge writhing cloud, ready to attack.

Her eyes met his, and he read keen relief there. _Be quiet and don't interfere_.

He nodded and made his way over to Tooth, his legs like rubber. She lay on her side, one of her wings bent under her, barely breathing.

 _How is this going to end?_

A step closer, and a movement caught his eye. He turned his head and saw Katherine bend down and kiss Nightshade.

He heard Elsa say, "My centre is Love," and saw the white energy explode from Nightshade and Katherine.

And then Jack found himself lying in the snow again, the wind knocked right out of him.

He remembered the stories. He recalled the time Pitch had kidnapped Katherine and bound her in a constant nightmare, and how Nightlight had released her in the end by using the Kiss of Goodnight, giving up his eternal childhood.

The Kiss of Goodnight.

Surely something so powerful would…

Jack got to his feet and looked eagerly to where Nightshade lay with his head in Katherine's lap. But Nightlight lay there now, his black armour gone, his eyes closed and his whole body pulsing a soft blue light.

 _It worked!_ He thought triumphantly.

Then his eyes went back to Elsa, and he saw all the children on the hillside, and the moment his brain made the connection, a relief filled him that was so intense, he thought he might collapse again.

 _They're free. All of them._

He leaned down to help Tooth up, and her pink eyes met his, reflecting his own joy.

Nothing could ruin this moment. He felt he could burst with pride of Elsa for standing up to Pitch without fear.

"You've lost," he found himself saying to Pitch, who was getting to his feet, angry and defeated.

"No," the Nightmare King growled, and the hairs on the back of Jack's neck prickled. His confidence wavered. There was a soft snarl, and then, "You have."

Time seemed to slow down.

Pitch drew back his arms, and Jack cried out a warning, shooting a blast of ice at him as the Nightmare King released the energy, enough to turn all the children back into Fearlings, or perhaps even kill them.

A heartbeat later, the queen had dashed sideways, putting herself between the children and the anger and hatred, absorbing it into herself.

Jack let out a fierce cry, releasing Tooth, and darting forward as Elsa crumpled sideways off the cliff, too late to catch her.

He looked about frantically for his staff, saw Pitch staggering back, and heard the sickening sound of the young woman hitting the ice, which broke on impact.

"No!" he shrieked hoarsely, " _Elsa_!"

He leapt off the cliff after her, everything gone, the battle, his friends, the people of Arendelle, Pitch.

He didn't feel the cold of the water.

He swam down into the dark, desperately searching, fighting his own terror of the water. But she was out of reach.

He came up, gasping and choking for air, and plunged back in.

After the fourth try, he came up so cold, he could barely move, and he huddled on the edge of the jagged hole, numb.

There were other things happening. Above him, the sun had dipped towards the west, and the Guardians were still facing Pitch.

And on the other side of the harbour, the people of Arendelle had realized who the fallen figure had been.

A great cry rose up, echoing off the mountainsides in the cold air, a lament for a fallen queen.

"They loved her," Jack mumbled between chattering teeth. He wondered vaguely why she'd been so sure they were afraid of her. 'Fear is the worst enemy of all', Manny's voice whispered inside his mind. Christmas Eve seemed to have happened in another time, to another person. In this world, there was nothing but cold, biting pain, tearing at Jack's heart.

He'd never felt so great a hurt before.

The moments stretched into an eternity, sitting there alone, hugging his knees to his chest, staring at the icy water, waiting for someone to come and take away the pain.

Someone did come. They touched his shoulder, and he looked up, wondering why the world was blurry.

"Jack," the Easter Bunny said gruffly, "C'mon mate. She's gone. We're all heading to the castle to get cleaned up. Her sister wants to see you."

The Winter Spirit continued to stare blankly up at his friend, not realizing what he'd said.

 _She's gone_.

Finally, the giant rabbit reached down and scooped him up, limping back across the ice to the other side.

People lined the streets, obviously able to see their childhood heroes, red-eyed and weeping, watching tearfully as the Spirit of Winter was carried past, following the other Guardians.

At the castle, Jack gathered himself and got down, receiving Anna's choked embrace.

"Oh, Jack!" she sobbed over and over into his sweater, clinging to him as though to life itself.

He held her tighter and squeezed his eyes closed, hoping that horrible, wrenching ache would subside, but it only became bigger.

Olaf trotted up, looking confused. "Where's Elsa?" he said.

Jack bit his lip and Anna bent down beside the snowman, trying very hard to speak. Jack closed his eyes and whispered, "She's gone, Olaf. She saved the children."

The snowman sagged and trudged away miserably, his flurry grey and moody.

Jack helped Anna to her feet and she led him to the main hall, which had been quickly set up to resemble a sort of hospital. The Tooth Fairy was sitting alone on a cot, her wing propped up behind her, North close by, lying on his back as the royal physician bandaged him up.

When Tooth saw Jack, her eyes filled with tears.

"What happened to Pitch?" the Spirit of Winter tried, his voice breaking.

"He's a coward," North growled from where he lay on the cot. "After the queen—after she...fell, he realized he'd have to go through all of us to get his precious army back, so he crafted a horse from Nightmare sand and escaped."

"Where? Why aren't we going after him?" Jack frowned.

"To the sky, he went," North said. "Said something about the Moon and Manny's life."

There was a soft sound, and Jack noticed Nightlight lying on another cot, Katherine holding one his hands, her left arm splinted by her side. "You are not remembering your knowing," the young man said quietly in his eerie voice. "The Pitch is using the Man in the Moon for power. If not, the queen would not have gone dead."

"So Manny's in trouble," Jack said tonelessly, trying to fight against the surge of emotions inside him. "We have to help him."

North shook his head. "We cannot. None of us are fit to go-" he held up his hand to stop Jack's interruption, "-especially not you, Jack Frost. Manny is much stronger than we think; it was foolish of Pitch to go there. This last fight is for him."

Jack hated it. He wanted to do something.

Anna blew her nose. "Wh-what about all those children that Elsa saved? What are we going to do with them?"

Tooth sighed. "My fairies are finding out where they came from using the lost teeth, and Aster is sending them home, through his holes. I'm sorry about Elsa," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "I wish I could have known her better."

"I did," Jack replied, closing his eyes. "And she's...dead. Gone. There's nothing any of you can say or do to make it 'better'." And he turned and left the room, unable to handle facing them any longer.


	20. Chapter 20 - After Today

**Hello again! This is the second-last chapter in this story, after which I promise I will do my sorely neglected The Boy Who Thought He Had No Choice. I think I'll add an epilogue to this one as well, just to round it off. In the meantime, have some Anna/Jack bonding time.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - After Today**

It was New Years' Eve, in the evening, and Jack was sitting alone in Elsa's bedchamber, his hands tightly clutching a worn piece of parchment.

The Guardians were still recovering from their most terrifying battle yet, and Arendelle was still reeling from the shock of losing their queen and gaining five fairytale characters instead. Anna had spent most of the last five days locked in her room, only seeing Kristoff and Jack. Yesterday, she'd finally emerged, worn and pale, and collected several servants to assist her in going through Elsa's things.

When Jack asked her gently why she had suddenly decided to resume her regular life, she had smiled tearfully. "I'm the queen now," she whispered. "Elsa wouldn't want me to live in my room and ignore Arendelle."

No one had heard anything from the Man in the Moon, or the Yetis, who had taken the rocket from the Lunar Lamandry and gone up to give assistance.

Tonight, however, for the first time in a long time, the moon had risen brightly once more, and hopes were running high.

Anna, dressed in black, her eyes still puffy and bloodshot, had met Jack in the hall a few moments earlier, where he'd been wandering aimlessly, and given him the scrap of parchment.

"I found it in Elsa's things," she wiped her eyes. "She'd have wanted you to see it."

It hurt to read the words, words from the past, when the queen had been a little girl, but it also made Jack feel better, somehow.

Dear Mr. Frost,

Are you real? You're in my old storybook, and my nurse said you're just a story, made up for children. But my heart keeps telling me you're real.

I wish I could send this to you, like a letter to St. Nicholas, and you'd come and find me here, and teach me to control my powers, so I can see Anna again, and even go outside.

I'm scared.

Papa says, 'Conceal, don't feel', but it only seems to get worse.

I heard you're so powerful you can make the winter storms. That's more than I can do. I wish you could show me how to do things like that.

Maybe one day I'll see you, if I watch in winter. Surely you come through Arendelle, because where else does the winter come from?

For now, I'll just stay here, in my room, and learn my lessons, and try not to freeze the piano again.

Elsa Iduna Anderson, crown Princess of Arendelle

Jack treasured the words of the little girl, glad her wish finally came true, but sorrowful for the outcome.

"If I'd never met her, she'd still be alive," he said softly.

But then he wouldn't have known that there was another person like him, with magic ice powers. He would never have seen how beautiful ice could be. He would never have seen her soft smile, or felt her hair against his cheek. And he would never have found the Guardians or stopped Pitch.

He let out a little whimper, falling back onto the bed, still clutching the old parchment.

"Oh Snowflake," he whispered to the curtains above him. "You stole my heart and now you're gone. What will we do without you?"

There was a soft sound as the door opened, and Anna came back in, holding a cup of tea.

He sat up as she moved silently over to him and sat down, giving him the tea.

He took a sip, not tasting it, and stared down into the liquid. He usually hated tea, no exception here.

"Drink it, Jack," she said gently. "You haven't had anything to eat or drink for five days."

"I'm immortal," he protested weakly, but he downed the flavourless liquid. "Don't worry about me, Anna. I'll be alright." His voice cracked.

She folded her hands over her round belly, obviously having difficulty keeping herself together. Her face was soft in the candlelight, pale, with new worry lines around her eyes. She looked much older than when he'd first met her.

"Kristoff thought I should see how you're doing," she said. "Since you've been moving around the castle like a ghost the last while."

He wiped his nose on his sleeve, unsure of how to reply. "It's hard," he finally said.

She nodded, swallowing. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "It's hard for me, too. I lost her once, when I was six, and I didn't think it would happen again." She sniffed, and then whispered, "And for good."

Jack felt his heart tear more at the pain in her voice, and he reached over and took her in his arms, trying to give her what little comfort he could. She leaned against him, her hands on his chest, sobbing quietly, and he felt his own eyes moisten again, his own tears falling into her red hair.

Her warmth seeped into him, and he realized just how cold he was. Since Elsa had...died, he'd avoided everyone, ignoring the offers of consolation, afraid of contact. But now he knew he was wrong. Holding Anna, he felt like the hurt could go away; if not completely, than at least mostly. Life would go on, like before, and he'd be richer for his time with the sweet young queen.

Eventually, both of them quieted, just breathing in the silence, watching the shadows the candles threw on the walls, hanging on to one another.

Then, the door opened, and Kristoff peered in, wondering where Anna had got to.

When his eyes took in the two of them, sitting there in the dark, he strode straight over and sat down on the other side of Anna, and wrapping both of them in his arms, which caused Anna to start crying all over again.

Finally, she sat up and wiped her nose on Kristoff's handkerchief.

"Jack," she said, when she could speak again, "you're family now, alright? You can come back here whenever you'd like, and we'll welcome you with open arms."

Kristoff nodded, tucking the square of cloth back into his jacket pocket. He caught Jack's eyes with his own and the corner of his mouth twitched up into a wry smile. "You really cared for Elsa, didn't you." It was a statement, not a question.

Jack looked down at his hands. "I loved her." He'd spent a lot of the last five days figuring that out, but now he was sure.

Anna smiled sadly and took one of his hands. "We loved her too. She was a beautiful person. We'll all miss her."

Anna was queen now, and would be crowned once the grieving period had passed. It would be difficult to fill her sister's shoes, but she was meeting with the Council directly after the holidays to discuss Elsa's bills and notes. Apparently, the group of men had been quite shaken by Elsa's death and the appearance of the Guardians. They had agreed to honour the things she'd decided, after reviewing her notes and drafts and doing some research.

Anna already had some ideas of her own to add to her sister's.

"You'll be a great queen, Anna," Jack said thickly.

She gave him a wobbly smile, her blue eyes still watery. "Thank you. I'll try. I have all of Elsa's work to go on, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

Even after her death, Elsa's good work would continue, in Anna's competent hands.

She'd been a great queen herself, and even though she'd only ruled Arendelle for five months, she'd left her mark on the kingdom and would never be forgotten.


	21. Chapter 21 - Something Good

**Last chapter. Thank you to all my readers for being so encouraging. I'm not talking about reviews, because I got hardly any...but just the fact that you READ what I wrote, and actually LIKED it. That's the biggest compliment you could've given me, ever.**

 **And yes, I put a misquote from Frozen in this chapter, because it fit. Once again, THANK YOUUUU! :) :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - Something Good**

The trio went down at about ten-thirty, joining the others in the dining hall, where they were having a late dinner.

It was New Years' Eve, but no one was in the mood to celebrate so soon after losing Elsa, so it was a quiet, simple affair.

North was still healing, but he had prepared to travel after seeing the moon rise, eager to return to the Pole and repair the damage. The rest of the Guardians were also getting impatient, ready to return to their regular duties, even Tooth, whose wing had magically healed over the last two days.

They were all waiting, waiting for news.

Most of them had only known Elsa for less than an hour, and though they were sorry for her death, and would never forget what she'd done, she'd already faded to memory, Pitch and his war once again foremost in their minds.

As Jack, Anna, and Kristoff found places to sit around the long table, maids set places for them, offering hot soup and roast chicken.

Jack put a few things on his plate because Anna was watching him, but he only picked at it. His stomach turned at the thought of eating anything. He knew he'd lost weight, and that an immortal could die of starvation as easily as any human, but he couldn't bear the thought of eating.

It felt wrong, somehow, to be carrying on with life as normal, while Elsa was dead, gone forever.

In the middle of the meal, there was a whooshing like a great wind, and everyone stopped talking and turned to see a portal appear. A Yeti popped out, tall and huge and white.

North shot to his feet.

"What news, Frank?" he practically begged.

The Yeti rattled of a string of sentences in his own language, and the Guardian of Wonder pumped one huge fist in the air, wincing in pain immediately after.

"Pitch Black is defeated!" he announced, once he'd caught his breath again. "And Man in Moon is back to normal!"

Everyone cheered and clapped, and Tooth reached out and squeezed Bunny in a hug, which he didn't seem to mind.

"Pitch has been imprisoned on the prison planet that the original Fearlings had been," North finished.

Jack felt a deep relief, and though the feeling was overshadowed by grief, it was welcome to the strain of the past few days.

The buzz of conversation returned, louder and more excited. Jack sat quietly, listening to the plans that were flying back and forth.

Nightlight was going to return to Santoff Claussen with Katherine, who was going to write everything down and tell it to the children; North would leave for the Pole as soon as everything had been figured out; the Easter Bunny was itching to continue his Easter egg decorating prep.

Like Jack, the Sandman sat smiling, not even attempting to communicate via Dreamsand images.

And to the side, Toothiana was chattering away to a group of her fairies, who seemed to be updating her on the latest tooth losses around the world.

In the midst of all the hubbub, the door was thrown open, and a stunned guard raced in and skidded to a halt in front of them. His eyes were wide with shock. "I-uh-th-th-the-" he stuttered, unable to get the words out.

"You what?" Bunny asked, as everyone waited for the man to collect himself.

A movement in the doorway behind the guard caught Jack's eyes, behind the guard, and his heart stopped beating for a full ten seconds. Gasps rippled throughout the room, a dish shattered on the floor, and one of the maids fainted.

Jack shot to his feet, mouth open in astonishment.

There, framed by the open doorway, stood Elsa, smiling uncertainly, and very much alive.

He was on his feet without another thought, sprinting around the table with a glad cry.

Her eyes fell on him, and when she caught sight of his face, her eyes filled with tears.

Two seconds later, and he was holding her in his arms again, something he'd never dreamed of, laughing and crying at the same time.

And then Anna was there, and Kristoff, and Elsa threw her arms around them as the rest of the Guardians crowded around, clamouring questions and laughter.

"You're alive," Jack finally said shakily, his hands shaking. "How are you _alive_?"

She looked around at them all. "I barely know myself. I remember falling into the water, and the next thing I knew, there was a bright light in the darkness, and I was being pulled up out of the ice. It was the Moon," she said in awe. "He rescued me."

"Manny," North shook his head, astounded. "Again, surprising us all."

Jack remembered his angry outburst about Manny not answering his questions, and it occurred to him in that moment, like a flash of blinding light, that maybe he would never know the answers. At least, not as long as he lived on the Earth.

But The Man in the Moon had saved Elsa, and that was suddenly all that mattered.

"Anna," Elsa approached her sister, taking her hands, "I cannot be queen anymore. There's a new direction for my life."

Anna wiped the tears of her face, confused, but smiling anyways. "What do you mean, Elsa?"

Elsa embraced her sister quickly, and then turned back to Jack once again. "The Man in the Moon told me something. He said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. You will be a helper suitable for him.' He meant you, Jack. I'm to help you, forever."

He stared at her.

"A new Guardian?" North mused. "As a helper. Hmm."

She nodded, her eyes flicking back and forth between Jack's almost fearfully.

"Jack, please. Say something?" She reached up and touched his face, her hand shaking.

He finally found his voice, and he forced his brain to stop whirling, and did the thing he'd wanted to do the moment he saw her come through the door. Dropping to one knee in front of her, he took her shaking hands in his. "Queen Elsa," he said gently, "Will you marry me?"

Her eyes got very big, and then she laughed in delight. "Jack Frost," she replied, pulling him up and throwing her arms around his neck, "Of course, silly! You can't get rid of me now!"

Jack felt like he would burst.

Everyone was laughing and cheering and catcalling, and Anna was laughing and crying again. Someone slapped Jack on the back.

Olaf's voice reached them, higher than the others. "Kiss," he appeared between the many legs, grinning up at them, "Just kiss."

Jack's breath caught.

There was a wave of snickers.

Elsa pulled away from him enough to look up at him, her cheeks pink, but her eyes were dancing.

"Why aren't they kissing?" the snowman stage-whispered to Kristoff. "Do you think they know how to kiss?"

He reached up and slid his long fingers under her chin, heart racing, hesitating. She stood on her tiptoes and grasped his hoodie, pulling him close, and kissed him.

It was perfect.

He'd never felt so happy in all his life.

He stepped back, flushed, and took her hand again. "I know the answer now," he said softly. "My home is where you are."


	22. Epilogue

**I just realized that I called this story Frozen in Time, which has nothing to do with the story. I think, somewhere way way back, like two years ago, I as planning to have Elsa be dead for a long time, so that would've been why.**

 **I think a more fitting name would be 'Jack's Frost's Wish', which is why that's what it's called now. :)**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Anna and Kristoff were crowned within a week of Elsa's return, and Arendelle celebrated, for the old queen and the new, who were both present.

Shortly afterwards, a different sort of celebration was held, this time in a snowy forest glade, away from all the fuss and attention. Elsa became Elsa Iduna Frost that morning, and took her Guardian oath before the Guardians and her sister.

She had decided that not having a home was unhealthy for her new husband, and after some deliberation, they went up into the forest that night. It was peaceful and quiet, the soft snow falling around them as they flew up to the North Mountain and climbed the icy steps to Elsa' ice palace.

At the door, she made the mistake of looking at Jack before going in, and he snickered and gleefully scooped her up and flounced inside.

After they had calmed down, he straightened up and looked around again. They spent the evening running around changing the design of the place to suit both their tastes, but eventually the designing turned into a snowball fight through the halls and up the stairs, which ended when she was laughing so hard she slipped on some ice, and he shot out and caught her, both of them breathless and panting, and giggling helplessly.

Nothing could've made that day any more glorious than it was.

Anna's child was born that spring, a little boy, who she and Kristoff named him Agnarr Jackson, after her father and her brother-in-law. The queen had taken over the rule of the kingdom with the help of her logical, down-to-earth husband, and the Council had cooperated well enough.

Elsa and Jack visited once a week, and spent their days all over the world, making icicles and snow days, and even though they fought sometimes, they always made it up to each other, or got a snowrub instead.

Hundreds of years later, when Elsa's great-great-great-grandnephews and nieces were ruling Arendelle, the two Winter Spirits could be spotted peeking through windows when there were parties, or leaving un-signed gifts for their relatives.

And Pitch Black remained imprisoned, unable to do anything except think evil thoughts alone to himself.

There would always be darkness, shadows, and fear, but without the King of Nightmares, that's all they would ever be.

The world was once again safe.


End file.
